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DETAILS & STUFF
WHERE TO PICK SMORGASBOARDER UP Grab it FREE at quality surf stores, shapers and cool cafes on the coast of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. For a full list, see the directory in the back of the mag or just get to your local surf shop and ask for it. If you see a local store advertising, please support them! They’ll have the lion’s share of mags in your area. smorgasboarder is published six times a year.
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Sign up at www.smorgasboarder.com.au. It’ll arrive every two months. Back issues are available for $5 per copy.
Ben Vos was the man behind the lens on our recent visit to New Zealand. Fortunately his photos - like this cracker in Dunedin - are better than his driving and jokes. A German backpacker in Raglan even asked “Can we look?” Page 28.
BOYS & GIRLS OF SMORGASBOARDER LOTS OF STUFF & ADVERTISING Dave Swan dave@smorgasboarder.com.au 0401 345 201 NEW ZEALAND STUFF ‘Jiff’ Morris jeff@smorgasboarder.co.nz +64 (0)220 943 913 LOTS OF STUFF & DESIGN Mark Chapman mark@smorgasboarder.com.au 0400 875 884 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STUFF James Ellis james@smorgasboarder.com.au 0410 175 552 STUFF, ACCOUNTS & EVERYTHING ELSE Louise Gough advertising@smorgasboarder.com.au PHOTO STUFF Ben Vos benv@smorgasboarder.com.au MORE DESIGN STUFF: Dean Slockee & Gus Brown PROOFING, TEST STUFF & STUNTS: Gus Brown
CONTRIBUTORS
This is your mag. Tell us your stories, send us your pics, let us know your thoughts... Ideas & submissions: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
WWW.SMORGASBOARDER.COM.AU smorgasboarder is published by Huge C Media Pty Ltd ABN 30944673055. All information is correct at time of going to press. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements, or unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. The opinions and words of the authors do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without prior permission.
We print with Pep Central and Craft Inprint Group, an environmentally aware and committed printer whose business is founded upon the principles of minimising waste and maximising recycling. Nice work.
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Big Stick
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may/jun 2012
10/05/12 10:09 PM
Rusty
WHAT A PLACE Faced with where to test the latest wetsuits this year we choose New Zealand. We thought it would be cold, dark and provide us with an opportunity to write a travel story to boot. What we experienced, however was far beyond our expectations.
you look, there are fun waves with little or no crowds. Many go unridden.
New Zealand wasn’t just a bit of fun - it was absolutely bloody awesome. We haven’t stopped talking about the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’ since we returned. What we’re yet to figure out though, is why so many Kiwis move over here?
And as for the country itself, the scenery is awe-inspiring. One minute you feel you are on the set of Jurassic Park and the next you are in alpine scenery reminiscent of the European Alps or the Nordic fjords.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a very, very proud Australian, born and bred in Queensland. I love my country to bits. I tell you what though, we could take a leaf out of the Kiwis book in many respects. Two weeks surfing the joint and I never heard one ‘Oi, my wave’. No wave rage. Nothing. I guess the possible presence of Great Whites due to the abundance of seals could cause everyone to be more welcoming of increased numbers in the water. Lessen the odds... There are an endless number of top class breaks for every level of surfer. Everywhere
Yes, the water may be a little cooler than some parts of Australia, but with the way modern wetsuits go, you don’t even feel the cold.
Basically, New Zealand just blows my mind. It blew all of our minds. So with this in mind, we wanted to take a different approach to this edition of smorgasboarder. We thought we’d take you along on a journey of the North and South Island of New Zealand as we experience some of what the country has to offer - taking in the scenery, meeting local shapers, surfing, testing their boards, testing the new season’s wetsuits, sampling local food, produce, wine and beer and of course having one hell of a good time doing it. Welcome to our All Black edition.
The NZ ing travell w cre
AND INTRODUCING... We’re far from the most serious crew here at smorgasboarder, so when we met Barry over here, we were very excited to share his stories with you! But note - he’s a pretty excessive individual, so we’re not sure how long his ticker will take it all... Enjoy it while you can! Ridiculously talented artist Darren ‘Curl’ Marks presents the politically incorrect misadventures of Aloha Barry and Pimples the dog on page 163. Finally, a big welcome to our long-time friend, half-decent photographer and passable surfer, Ben Vos, who joined us in NZ to capture some amazing images, test out great gear and be part of the great big adventure that is this magazine. Enjoy, open your mind and get some waves!
Big Cat -‐ 7’0”, 7’6” & 8’0” Piranha -‐ 5’8”, 6’0”, 6’2”, 6’4”, 6’6” & 6’10” Dwart -‐ 5’8”, 5’10” & 6’0”
SURFTECH AUSTRALIA
www.surftechaustralia.com.au may/jun 2012
02 4226 1322
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1
Since 197
bout” a ll a is g n fi r u s t a h w is “ www.goodtime.com.au
WETSUITS! We reckon we have the cheapest wetsuits in the world... Don’t waste your time online, get it at goodtime... Stocking Rip Curl, O’Neill, West, Excel, Roxy, Quicksilver, Billabong, Peak
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07 3391 8588 FIND US ON FACEBOOK!
Photo courtesy of Dick Hoole
mar/apr 2012
10/05/12 12:25 PM
INZIDE THIS ISSUE
NZ
Joel Tudor
28 NORTH ISLAND
Arriving in Auckland, floods, experiencing Piha, Raglan and more
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PERSPECTIVE
78
LONGBOARDING
83
SOUTH ISLAND
Joel Coleman and mates do their own North Island trip
We talk to the producer of NZ longboard surfing movie SEWN
Seafood, seals and surfing on the way down to Dunedin
ALL THE USUAL BITS THE LATEST
12 Letters & Reader Photos 22 News & Community
TRAVEL
28 Lots of New Zealand
GEAR
121 Snowboard Tech 123 Skate 125 The Shaper’s Apprentice
CLOSEOUT
150 Michael Peterson 152 Columns 160 Relax 162 Aloha Barry
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WETSUITS
We put a whole lot of rubber to the test on our travels through NZ
When a cold cruise is cut short, it’s nice to be that rubbered up! Hello ice-cream headache. Photo: Ben Vos
Papa Joe -‐ 9’6” Classic -‐ 9’4” Good Karma -‐ 6’0” Dead Fish -‐ 5’10”
TIC ACROBOAUNT M IS D #62
SURFTECH AUSTRALIA
www.surftechaustralia.com.au mar/apr 2012
02 4226 1322
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READERS PICS 12
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INTRODUCING THE
HD HERO2 2X More Powerful In Every Way
Alex Gibson sent in this absolute cracker of Ker Down taking off somew ry on the Central Coast of here NSW Alex scores himself a coo MegaWasp waterproof l duffel bag!
www.surfcomposites.com.au admin@surftechaustralia.com.au may/jun 20124226 1322 13 02 May2012_Smorgas_letters.indd 13
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READERS PICS There’s nothing manlie than a noseride, sick pits r a chestfro. Caloundra’s and Dea Chelin, chillin’... man-style n . Sunny Coast snapper Peter Pascoe scores himself a cool MegaW asp waterproof duffel bag !
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READERS PICS Brazilian-born Gold Coast surfer and skater Vitor Silveira gets some air in Yamba on the NSW North Coast. Congrats Vitor - you score yourself a cool MegaWasp waterproof duffel bag!
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READERS PICS no caption. This needs her photograp Victorian hes scores Roie Hug l MegaWasp oo herself a c f duffel bag! waterproo
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For next issue’s favourite reader shots, we’ve got copies of the NZ longboarding DVD, SEWN to give away! Photos to letters@smorgasboarder.com.au Read more about SEWN on Page 78 may/jun 2012
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PHOTOS: Roie Hughes
FIVE TIMES THE FUN How much fun is it to jump on a different board, trying to ride it and having a laugh with your friends? That’s the essence of surfing. The sun is shining and entering the water every day is mandatory, no matter what the conditions. Bring out the boards as they may be needed. You could be surfing tiny perfect glassy waves on a log or jumping on the bodyboard as the only thing breaking is the sucky shorey. Surfing isn’t about the type of board you ride or the size of waves you catch, it’s about that stoke you get every time you a catch a wave... That feeling you get that makes you think nothing else in the world matters at the moment in time when you jump to your feet.
Short, Long, Lid. Pro or weekend warrior. It’s all surfing and people just do it for that same buzz they get from catching a wave. Jumping on different boards keeps things interesting and means more water time - even when it’s flat you can go for a paddle on your SUP. Get out in the surf and just have fun, who’s to say that shortboarder sitting in the lineup at pumping Snapper is having more fun than the mum catching broken waves on her bodyboard at Main Beach? Just feel the thrill of being in the ocean, have fun and ride any board you want, any way you want! Emma Webb, Jan Juc
Preach it sister - smorgasboardering all the way. For your great thoughts and pics you score a very cool MegaWASP duffel bag! For a look inside the WASP bag, see Page 149 Send us your thoughts, rants and more... We’ll find free stuff to send your way.
letters@smorgasboarder.com.au
LETTERS 20
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WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND OUR SIDE OF THE COAST editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
facebook.com/smorgasboarder
THE TIDE IS IN Finding reliable tide charts for Bali has been a bit of a mission through the years. Thanks to Peter Neely at Indo Surf & Lingo they’re now just a mouse click away. Peter’s made available officially licensed, 24-hour UK Royal Admiralty Charts for the region, along with tide charts for G-Land, the Mentawais, Sumbawa and other Indo surf spots. Now you can plan to score your Indo surf spot on the perfect tide years in advance. www.indosurf.com.au/ Tide_Charts.html
ANTI- SHARK DEVICE ON THE MENU An electronic device designed to ward sharks away from surfers was eaten by a Great White in a trial off South Africa.
Now
stocking
More boards than you can poke a log at.
SUPs!
s Harbour NSW 392 Harbour Drive, The Jetty Strip, Coff www.thelogshack.com.au Phone: 02 6658 0223
Under the gaze of the Natal Sharks Board the Shark Shield surf model was activated on a float carrying bait when a 3.6m female shark approached. Rather than being deterred by the device, she bit into it. The findings have come to the surface during the inquest into the death of Jarrod Stehbens, who was diving off Glenelg in South Australia in 2005 studying cuttlefish for the University of Adelaide when he was taken by a Great White shark. The inquest has heard concerns that the electronic fields generated by the device to repel sharks may instead attract them. Findings of the inquest will be published at a later date.
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T
02 9976 0591
twitter.com/smorgasboarder
Splinters production still. Photo: Adam Pesce
SURFWARE AUSTRALIA SUNSHINE COAST SUPERSTORE
Congratulations to Ocean & Earth who won the Product Innovation Award at the recent Australia Surf Industry Awards for their one-piece leash. Simply put, the legropes are super strong and the award is a great backpat for Ocean & Earth as a world leader in surf hardware.
GOT NEWS?
MELBOURNE SPLINTERS ‘Splinters’, the multi award-winning documentary surf film about the evolution of indigenous surfing in Papua New Guinea will premier in Melbourne at the Human Rights and Arts Film festival at 6.15pm on Thursday May 24th. For details go to hraff.org.au/film-event/splinters-3
DEWEY WEBER IN AUSTRALIA The name needs no introduction. Some of the finest surfboards out of California are now available in Australia and New Zealand. To ‘get close to the soul’, contact Adam on 0400 497 534.
INSPIRATION & FUEL The first weekend in June will see a fundraiser for Surfrider Foundation at the Just Us Gallery in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast Run over 3 days, this free event will bring together artists, photographers, surfboard shapers and musicians, to celebrate the love of the waves, beaches and ocean and help raise funds to help protect the very things we love and enjoy. The exhibition will feature photography by Matt O’Brien, surfboards by Tom Wegener, art by Shane Bowden and music by great local acts including Mitch Davis. See www.justusgallery.com.au
Send it in. Upcoming events, charity happenings, interesting stories, email to: editorial@smorgasboarder.com.au
may/jun 2012
10/05/12 7:29 PM
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Charlotte resident yoga master at Bondi SUP strikes a pose with Pipe master Gerry Lopez
WHAT’S SUP WITH YOUR DOWNWARD DOG? Yoga masters of Sydney’s eastern and southern suburbs can now take to the water to attain their perfect state of spiritual insight and tranquility. Both Cronulla Standup Paddleboard School and Bondi Standup Paddleboard School are now running standup paddleboard yoga classes. Both discipines are recognised as being great for building better balance, flexibility, coordination, endurance and strength. By combining the two, the benefits are said to be even better. Former Hawaiian world champ surfer Gerry Lopez couldn’t resist a pose when he was recently in town visiting Todd and the team at Bondi SUP. The lovely Charlotte, resident yoga master, took him through his poses. www.cronullasup.com.au
Byron Sunset Happy Hour! Monday to Friday 4-6pm Half price selected Tapas (Calamari and dips) $5 select beers & house wine, $10 Margaritas
FLOATING GYM FACILITIES On the subject of paddleboard yoga, Cindi Bonner, a Pensacola Beach fitness owner in the US has introduced a revolutionary, patented SUP design with just that in mind. Named the Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly it features a trolley anchoring system, paddle clip to secure paddles so they don’t float away during workouts, multiple attachment rings for exercise tubing, a dry storage area for personal belongings and two removable cup holders. www.fitnessonboard.com
Open every day Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tapas till late.
Cnr Lawson & Jonson, Byron Bay
Action from the 2011 Wrecks and Relics.Photos: Ian Borlan d
02 6680 9666
www.balcony.com.au
ROLLICKING WRECKS Now in its eighth year, the Noosa Malibu Club’s Wrecks and Relics annual over-50’s longboarding event is booked for the weekend of 23-24 June. This year includes a new division - the over-69 age group, for those old farts that still have it in them. “It’s a gruelling two-day event of non-stop action, as we try to remember how we did it when we started riding the waves in the 50’s.” says spokesrelic, Bob Wood. For more info, contact Libby Winter at libby@winterco.com.au may/jun 2012
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HOLY SMOKES! A few issues back, we featured the creation of a surfboard from coconut wood. While we thought that was pretty out there, it seems there’s not too many natural materials that can’t be fashioned into a surfboard... This little beauty, built by alaia enthusiast Adam Bell, is manufactured using material from medicinal marijuana plants and looks ready for a smoking hot surf. Retrieved from a burn pile, the wood was painstakingly wittled down and glued together, bit by bit. With wood fibres much the same as balsa, the board was then glassed after Californian red abalone shells were inserted for detail. Adam’s been travelling the world for the last 11 years and has found himself following the direction of alternative surfing. He has studied and experimented with alaia’s building them in Australia, South Africa, Canada and California. Adam explains the inspiration behind his latest creation. “The board represents the Green and Red Triangle. The Red Triangle is the colloquial name of a roughly triangle-shaped region off the coast of northern California, extending from Bodega Bay, north of San Francisco, out slightly beyond the Farallon Islands, and down to the Big Sur region, south of Monterey. “Around thirty-eight percent of recorded Great White shark attacks on humans in the US have occurred within the Red Triangle. The Green Triangle or Emerald Triangle, is in Mendocino County north of San Francisco where most of the medical marijuana is grown in California.” For more on Adam’s wild slides see http://pcockalaias.blogspot.com.au
ABOVE: Are those rolled rails? FAR LEFT: The raw material. It takes a fair bit of vision and dedication to work a pile like that into a cool surfboard like this one, but it’s high time someone did. LEFT-HAND SIDE: Detail of the abalone insert. Even the joints are visible... These captions have just gone to pot... 24
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Geoff McCoy Designs
The i c on is ba ck . . .
Phase I
Phase II
5’ - 6’6” 1974/5 - 2012
5’ - 6’6” 2005 - 2012
This is the original design of the icon Lazor Zap, the original template that later became the modern short board disaster with its impractical slender low volume extremely hard to surf performance.
Now performing better than ever since Geoff adjusted performance features giving the design, smoother dynamic curves, more even thickness distribution this in turn has balanced the board in a practical way.
The basic design concept of the Lazor Zap was to increase area and volume in the back half of the board using only one fin.
This allows a much wider range of skill levels to enjoy the true features and performance available from this original GROUND BREAKING design, now 30-plus years old and outperforming all other retro designs and the modern short board by a country mile!
The design concept not only worked, it blew minds around the surfing world, and history shows how it achieved four times 2nd in the world titles and a 1st under the feet of the great Cheyne Horan. This extremely advanced design is now being copied world wide by all, so many years later. These facts speak for themselves and indicate the amazing capabilities of the design concept that Geoff calls his ENERGY THEORY.
Every McCoy surfboard is the result of Geoff’s uncompromising design approach which integrates style, hydro dynamics and pure function. The Lazor Zap / Nugget design, features compact hydro dynamic curves, under scoring the concepts of pure performance oriented efficiency that inspired them. These unique designs develop a personal, emotional connection with the surfer through their superior capabilities on the wave.
Cheyne Horan’s 1981 Zap
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Cheyne’s 81 Lazor Zap is currently being restored by Randy Rarick in Hawaii may/jun 2012
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Showroom at 10 Acacia Street
James Llewelyn zapping
Byron Bay NSW 2481 Australia
Pe r s o n a l l y c o n t a c t G e o f f o n 0 2 6 6 8 5 3 2 2 7 o r m c c oy @ n o r. c o m . a u
w w w. m c c oy s u r f b o a r d s . c o m 10/05/12 7:39 PM
FISH FOR SUPPER You can do a lot of cool things on a SUP... You can paddle down a river, you can fly down the face of a wave, you can do yoga if you have the skills and balance and if you couldn’t be bothered going to the supermarket, you can do your fresh fish shopping from your board too.
If you have photographic evidence of your own fishing endeavours beside a ruler or sizing gauge (e.g. beer can) for honesty, of course - then be part of the fun... Just comment “ Hook me up, I’m in” next to your name on the Ocean Addicts Facebook page to get started.
The crew at Ocean Addicts at Maroochydore have got quite competitive about their achievements with a rod and reel and recently put the call out to SUPers Australia-wide to take part in their SUP Fishing Competition.
Best of all, there are NO prizes for this competition at all! Just bragging rights for the leader board winner. For more on the comp and Ocean Addicts, see the website: www.oceanaddicts.com.au
Fishing, crabbing... It’s like grocery shopping from your SUP.
may/jun 2012
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Come along and enjoy our roadtrip through both islands of New Zealand, surfing whenever possible, taking in the sights and enjoying top hospitality, food and beers. WORDS: DAVE SWAN & MARK CHAPMAN, PHOTOS: BEN VOS
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PHOTO: MARK CHAPMAN may/jun 2012
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PHOTO: DAVE SWAN
Criss crossing the North
rs, Two groups of travelle o tw , es om rh two moto een the different trips. Betw and smorgasboarder visit we get the saltmotion visit, gical to see a few of the ma t to places NZ surfers ge y. da y er enjoy ev
Tutukaka
Piha
Auckland
Raglan New Plymouth
Gisborne Hawkes Bay
Wellington r the smorgasboarde moterhome went the North and hugged e th ile wh t, as West Co did ys bo on oti ltm sa orth some back-and-f side r he eit on discovery of th sou d an isl e th of . nd Auckla
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10/05/12 5:34 PM
PHOTOS: BEN VOS
TRAVEL SURF TRIP trend Bucking the t... ri and going gh say y, The right wa ls ra the natu
New Zealand, or Aotearoa, as it is known in the Maori language, means ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. Amongst surfers it is also known as the ‘Land of the Long Cool Lefts’ for its abundance of quality left-hand breaks. Yes, it’s a goofy footers paradise... weirdos.
The fact of the matter is, New Zealand has 15,000 kms of coastline, exposed to swell in every direction. There are literally a gazillion surf breaks, more than you could surf in a lifetime. Our challenge was to surf as many as we could in two weeks whilst catching up with a number of friendly folk who call this place home.
We were never going to be able to cover it all in one trip, on our own. Well I was willing to give it a crack but my two slack-arse mates weren’t up for driving non-stop on our working holiday, so I settled for a loose plan of attack we decided upon... which we then discarded as soon as we got there. In the end, we just drove around the place, got to some places, missed some places, had a surf and one hell of a good time and kind of made our way from north to south.
visiting some places we didn’t get to and scoring waves in places we lucked out on. But even between our two distinct visits to the North Island, we still only get to show you a snapshot of what the place is truly like and what our cousins across the water have to offer. Enjoy a little look across the ditch!
Fortunately, our friend Joel Coleman of saltmotion in Manly had similar plans of NZ discovery,
PHOTO: SALTMOTION
The country boasts several worldrenowned breaks such as Piha and Raglan, but loads of less widely known, but nonetheless high-class breaks such as Shipwreck Bay at the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach (which incidentally is only fifty-five miles), the Bog Works down Taranaki way (no prizes for
guessing what it formerly was, but now it’s just as famous for putting you in it). It’s a hellman’s wave. Then there’s Murdering Bay and St Clair down on the South Island. The list just goes on and on and so do the cool names.
may/jun 2012
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X GENUINELY
NOT
ABOVE: Art outside the local surf shop in Whangerei - The Surf Emporium. TOP RIGHT: Servo coffee - not crap in NZ. MAIN: This is what we’re looking forward to - new waves for us to experience! RIGHT: Sheepworld outside Auckland - what a cool logo!
FROM CHINA
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Enjoy affordable quality
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Let’s face it, arriving in a new country for the first time, after midnight, isn’t ideal. Night-shift airport staff are guaranteed to be grumpy and it’s going to be impossible to get anything organised at one in the morning and still get enough shuteye to count. Mentally, we’re preparing for the worst. Wrong. To our absolute surprise, everyone is as happy and chipper as if it’s first thing in the morning and they’ve all scored free coffees. Customs people smiling, information desk guy chatting away... He even rings the hotel for us to get our shuttle arranged after running us through how to get ourselves sorted with NZ sims for our phones. Kim - from our hotel - arrives, loads bags and drives us back like a bat out of hell. It’s all happened so smoothly and quickly that before we know it, we’re showered, rested and it’s morning, with Kim making a special trip to drop us at Britz to pick up our home on wheels. Again, smiling faces, friendly service and not a drama in the world... We’re loving
NZ already and we haven’t even had breakfast yet. We’re in a rush to get up north to get our trip underway, so rather than waste time, we start driving and stop on the motorway at a service station cafe for a bite to eat. Servo cafe? You’re kidding... this is like upmarket cafe latte strip food? We’re starting to get a little suspicious now. Surely this country can’t be all good, right down to servo food? Filled to the brim with strong coffee, bacon and eggs we’re on the road again, after a bit of headscratching on how this auto toll payment machine thingo works. One heated debate later - of whether we take a detour to visit Sheepworld - we decide to get straight into the surfing side instead. The first thing we need is surfboards! We weren’t coming to NZ to surf our own - we want to have the full local experience, right down to the foam under our feet - so we gun it to Ruakaka to meet up with surfboard maker Roger Hall.
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10/05/12 5:36 PM
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may/jun 2012
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP
hy hilosop “My p ilding of bu s has ard surfbo been to s alway a few make ards.” o nice b
PHOTOS: BEN VOS
RUAKAKA LOCAL:
ROGER HALL SURFLINE CUSTOM SURFBOARDS Being extremely organised, we pulled up at Surfline factory in Ruakaka completely unexpected and unannounced. Our luck still seemed to be holding up and Roger was in. Despite being hard at work, he gave us more than an hour of his time and after walking us through his factory and hearing of our brave quest to travel, discover and surf NZ without our own boards but relying on the kindness of shapers, he sent us on our way with three out of his personal quiver to make use of over the next few days. It turns out he’s not only a shaping legend but an awesome bloke to boot. PHOTOS: A look inside Surfline in Ruakaka is a trip to a grown-ups toy shop, stocked with beautifully crafted boards featuring intricate parquetry work, eye-catching resin designs and - on closer inspection - interesting and experimental shapes, rockers, channels... You name it. INSET: Roger surfing, as drawn by his nephew. 34
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ROGER HALL is a humble man. He frequently talks of such great admiration and respect for so many shapers that at times I wonder whether he realises how talented he actually is himself. I mean, the man seems to be freakishly gifted. His introduction to shaping though was quite different. You hear of many taking to shaping only after years of surfing, but Roger began shaping immediately, at the age of thirteen at the same time as he first took to the water. “The two went hand in hand by my way of thinking. Not sure what was going through my silly head, thinking I could do it, but I did. “The thing that was instrumental in my development was the fact that my father came from an engineering, fitting and turning background so he was really good with his hands. If he wanted something, he would make it. I, on the other hand, was just a disaster. I am living proof that if I can do it, there is hope for anybody. “As soon as I expressed an interest he was right there keeping an ever watchful eye on me. Pretty soon I would be yelling, ‘Dad, Dad, I can’t get this fin straight and the resin is about to go off’ and he would tell me, ‘A little more to the left, that’s good.’ He had such a good eye for it, particularly the curves. “So I was lucky that I sort of had that guiding light right at the beginning to keep me on track. Whenever it got too hard he would step in with the right power tool or come in with instruction. That really ensured I got going with it. Shaping became a fanatical hobby.” After making boards for himself and a couple of mates Roger came across a board that would forever set him on his ‘alternative’ path. “At the beginning I was into single fins and then very early in ‘72 or ‘73 I cottoned onto the fish thing. Twin keel fishes really caught my eye, particularly when I saw photos of guys doing those real fish turns around San Diego.” As if it were fate, a guy from San Diego moved to the little village where Roger grew up and brought his fish in for a ding repair. “I asked if I could measure it up - even though I didn’t really know how to do it back then - and I stole as much information as I could. I got totally obsessed with fish and pretty much have been since.” In a commercial sense though, fish weren’t big business back then, neither were the longboards Roger shaped, but he continued shaping them nonetheless. He’s always moved to the beat of his own drum and not what was fashionable or profitable. Eventually though, things turned in Roger’s favour. Longboards became popular and so too fish. It was just as well, because he was determined to do his own thing anyhow. “My philosophy of building surfboards has always been to make a few nice boards. It is just a passion at the end of the day. I’m not interested in mass production. There’s lots of mass production going on around the world and I think that is the enemy of the heart and soul of surfing. I’m pretty old school about that. “I’m from the 70s and surfing wasn’t a sport. It may be now, but that doesn’t mean we have to all behave that way. There’s still plenty of room to surf for the reasons you want to. Surfing for most of us is a passionate pastime. Shaping for me is the same, even though it has become my business.”
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP 1. Mini-Sea Creature At 5’7 this is one stumpy, twin-keeled mutant! It paddled like a dream because of the high-volume but was also super responsive when up and running.
A QUIVER OF ROGER’S BOARDS With surfboards of this high quality, finished with such painstakingly time-consuming parquetry, we weren’t sure if we should ride them, or frame them... We rode them.
2. Twin Keel C-Wing Fish With a timber tail, this 5’10 twinnie has extra weight in the rear to help you turn on a dime. Rock solid and really needed bigger surf than we got to do it justice.
3. Hot Curl
so You are n Ca pretty... a u I rub yo little?
Based on Roger’s timber version of the 1930’s Hawaiian Hot Curl boards, this 7’ foam finless was fantastic. Fast, yet surprisingly easy to steady and control. In love... Absolutely in love.
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ABOVE: Cold and overcast with onshore wind. Welcome to our first surf of the trip - Waipu Cove. TOP: Wind be blown, we scored a few fun rides regardless!
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Roger tells us of a popular surf spot nearby called Waipu Cove, which he says will be our best bet in the onshore winds but doesn’t really hold too much hope for us getting wet. What Roger didn’t figure is that we’re from the Sunshine Coast where the surf is regularly crap and we are used to these conditions. Slop grovellers we are, and proud of it. We arrive at Waipu, the beach is deserted, it’s howling onshore, overcast and a wee bit chilly. Great, let’s get it onnnn. I couldn’t wait to press my flesh on Roger’s personal works of art (sorry Roger) and start the first of our many wetsuit tests. All in all it was a good surf, made all the more memorable for the fact it was our first in New Zealand. Of course we saw the obligatory seal, the first of many to be seen throughout our trip, but not knowing exactly what it was at first I almost changed the colour of my wetsuit to a deep brown.
LEFT AND BELOW: Hidden off the street, the Beach House Cafe + Bar was our stop for dinner and breakfast. While the freshly-baked goods hit the spot, the atmosphere was perfectly set with the cool decor, featuring the great local surf photography by our friendly waitress, Emma Knight.
The conditions may not have been perfect for an initial road test of Roger’s boards but the Mini-Sea Creature shone through in the choppy conditions as did the 7’ Hot Curl surprisingly. You would think a finless board in dumping, sloppy beachies wouldn’t be ideal but the volume certainly helped and despite being finless, you could surprisingly ride this board forehand and backhand. I’m a novice and can’t ride finless boards backhand. We finish our surf as it nears dark and head back to the motorhome where we crack the first of many beers for the trip. The Kiwis sure know how to brew.
Waipu Cove sunrise. Photo: Emma Knight
We wander to the end of the campground to find what is the coolest restaurant aptly named the Beach House Café + Bar. We are waited on by a delightful young lady called Emma who just so happens to be the local photographer whose snaps adorn the walls along with an array of other tasteful bric-a-brac. The food is amazing and we are already starting to marvel at how good New Zealand is. We awake the next morning to even more gloomy and blustery conditions. Waipu Cove is a write-off, so we head back to the Beach House for breaky. Emma had worded us up the night before that the chef freshly bakes an array of breads, muffins, scones and doughnuts each morning and that their coffee is amazing. Emma is not wrong - the coffee and breakfast is unbelievable and we are already starting to wonder how much weight we will actually gain on this trip. My Homer Simpson physique was already well underway before we left. We leave the Beach House as full as bulls and steer towards Whangerai, where we’d heard there was a funky little store called The Surf Emporium who specialised in new and used handmade boards, surf inspired art and the like. Unfortunately the weather had deteriorated and with the way it was, The Surf Emporium was closed for the day so we travelled on towards Tutukaka, a very popular diving, deepsea fishing and surfing spot.
Waipu Cove. Photo: Emma Knight may/jun 2012
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP
“And then it got just a little bit rainy...”
ABOVE AND TOP: As we discovered a quiet little bay just north of Tutukaka, scored a great little ripple and a few fun rides, little did we know, RIGHT, what Mother Nature had in store for us the next day...
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Around from Tutukaka we find a spectacular bay - a horseshoe shape with a white sand beach. Despite the overcast skies you could see what a magic spot this was with superb little beach houses fringing the shore. Super-clean little knee-high rights peeled from the southern corner of the bay, absolutely perfect for the Roger Hall 7’ Hot Curl. We all take turns and swap boards every ten minutes or so. As the waves pick up, we move to some solid little beachies toward the centre of the bay. After three hours or more we finally make our way back to Tutukaka where we stay the night. And then it all went pear shaped. During the night, gale force winds hammered the Northland and it absolutely pissed down. By the morning our campground was starting to flood, as was the entire township and every bordering suburb. It then became a race against time to get out. Road upon road was closed. Weather reports stated those who could not get out would be trapped for the next four days.
We tried several alternate routes but could not escape. We passed a spot called Sandy Bay that was wild but firing with no one out mind you it was bloody murky - but there was no time to stop. We pushed on until we finally came to a grinding halt on a back road on the way to the state highway. There was no way through. We waded the waters in the flooded stretch of road and it was just below the waist. A friendly dairy farmer coming through the floodwaters on his tractor waved us on to his property to find shelter from the rising waters. Proving how small the world is, the friendly farmer Craig, used to shape his own surfboards, known as Blue Moon, which used to be glassed at Roger Hall’s Surfline factory. Frustrated, we sat for the next hour pondering how our NZ trip had just been washed away. But then it came - a break in the weather. The rain ceased for a while at the same time the waters dropped. We went for it, escaped and were on the road again.
may/jun 2012
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PHOTO: BEN VOS
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may/jun 2012
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP SURFING SHOTS: Heading south from Waipu, we found a perfect little wave on, with a few locals having some fun out in the rain. MIDDLE: Dinner at an English-style pub - a rewarding way to end a rained out day. ACROSS: The Sandspit Holiday Park featured the quirkiest of campgrounds with old shops and houses set up as a museum of sorts.
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PHOTOS: BEN VOS
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When we eventually escaped the floods we went back to Roger’s, returned his boards and made a start southward along the coast towards Auckland.
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It was later that afternoon we stumbled upon Langs Beach a beautiful tree lined bay just south of where we had surfed a couple of days before at Waipu Cove. Langs had a number of fun looking beachies peaking left and right. They were a bit on the fullish side but that just provided plenty of time and space to carve them up. There was just one problem, whilst we sat there salivating in the motorhome, and started contemplating kitting up to get wet, we realised we didn’t have any bloody boards.
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Was the decision to not bring our own boards a flawed one? It was only day three and we were going to miss a surf. Thankfully, it was the last time we would go without due to our decision to go completely Kiwi. But that said, the missed surf at Langs still burns. Sullen and sulky we drove on to where we stayed the night at the quirky Sandspit Holiday Park. A little later we drowned our sorrows at a nearby Olde English pub called the Salty Dog Inn. While we didn’t quite end up swaying back and forth with one eye closed singing sea shanties, we did enjoy a couple of fine ales, an awesome meal and then it was time to call it a day.
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP
LEFT: Nick Tansley - The real deal. BELOW: Nick’s very first board found it’s way home. BOTTOM: Finless experimentation.
PHOTOS: BEN VOS
OMAHA BEACH LOCAL:
NICK TANSLEY RAZOR SURFBOARDS The next morning we decided to make a detour in search of some breakfast and started driving towards Omaha Beach. On the way we noticed we weren’t far from a shaper we had read a fair bit about in our research of NZ. His name is NICK TANSLEY, regarded by many as one of New Zealand’s best shapers. Nick’s been at it some thirty-five years and is still finding satisfaction in hand crafting surfboards tailored to the individual. He shaped his boards under the Ocean Curves label from 1981 through to 1991 before changing the name to Razor Surfboards.
ABOVE: Just rewards for a busy start to the morning - breakfast at Kick Back Cafe, Omaha Beach. The surf wasn’t on, but there’s no denying this is a magic spot... with fine food. 42
Like many shapers he has scaled back his operation but is still as stoked on shaping as he was when he was sixteen. His reason to this day is the same as back then. He loved surfing so much that he thought it would be pretty cool to create one of those magical things for himself and possibly a few mates.
As fate would have it, Nick recently had back in his possession the first board he ever shaped and is in the process of restoring it. “Yeah, I didn’t hang onto it. I lost it. It got sold to one of my brothers mates and then he sold it to someone. Anyhow, one day it came back for a ding repair and I thought, ‘I’ll have that thank you.’ So I went about fixing it up and making it watertight again. I will take it for a surf when it’s done for the nostalgia. “There’s not a lot of finesse to it but I did the whole thing including the artwork, the decal. I always have.” It sure as hell looked a lot more impressive than my first ever shot at shaping a board (see our March 2010 edition at www.smorgasboarder. com.au). I don’t think anyone will be marveling over ‘The Stumpy Duck’ in thirty years to come. But enough of the past, we asked Nick what his latest project was.
of it. They just look like sculpture. I think it will work but then again it might track too much with that length of keel and style of it. There is quite a lot of rocker through the internals of it though, which will increase the maneuverability. It’s 6’. I made it for myself and I am 90kgs. I normally ride a 6’4” quad. ” It’s this renewed experimentation in surfboard design, such as what Nick is doing, that in our opinion seems to have reignited shaper’s creative flair and is what’s driving surfboard design forward. Such innovation will only serve to protect shapers from cheap overseas imports. Factory workers in China will never be able to keep up with, let alone replicate such a continual progression in design. And from a surfer’s perspective, it is just so bloody interesting to be seeing and riding boards that are not just your stock standard shortboard.
“This is something I have had going for a while – a finless board. Not quite finished yet. I will continue to tweak it. “I had a desire to try and build a board that could be finless just for the sake
may/jun 2012
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP 44
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PHOTO: BEN VOS
AUCKLAND LOCAL:
WAYNE PARKES WAYNE PARKES SURFBOARDS Arguably the godfather of New Zealand surfing, a top-notch surfer with plenty of national titles to his name, Wayne Parkes is also a pioneer of surfboard design. He has amassed a cult following amongst passionate soul surfers and is revered by his peers for his meticulous, quality craftsmanship. His boards, still hand-shaped from start to finish including handfoiled fins, are considered works of art. Wayne was at the forefront of surfing’s evolution from the late 60s to early 70s. During this period he enjoyed what he called a seven-year endless summer spending summers in New Zealand and winters on the Sunshine Coast. He worked with some of the best in the business including the legendary crew at Cord Surfboards in Caloundra - the likes of Bob McTavish, Kevin Platt, Darrell ‘Rooster’ Dell, Algy Grud, Russell Hughes, John Mantle and George Greenough, to name a few. Wayne recalls those times: “McTavish was just so involved in shaping and surfing. He never held anything back. Rooster was good too and lots of fun. You want some humour... (laughs) “Nat Young would come up and Bob Evans and also Peter Drouyn because Bob was shaping his boards. We had great waves in 66 and 67 and the surfing was just unbelievable – a lot of Point Cartright, The Bluff, Noosa. The Sunshine Coast at the time was one of the biggest influences on surfing. It was right before the first world contest that Nat won.” Having seen and surfed it all, Wayne is capable of crafting any manner of surfboards. However, it is his round tail single fins in particular that have gained him notoriety. Wayne explains his obsession with single fins. “They are like Ferraris to me. You can have a lot of fun in a Ferrari.
LEFT: Wayne Parkes, single fin legend with a Ferrari-red rocket may/jun 2012
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AUCKLAND LOCAL:
SIMON AMOS THE BOARD LAB SURF SHOP Simon from the Board Lab is right behind local shapers, stocking all local boards. Our kind of surf shop, for sure.
What became evident to us throughout our trip was the number of talented, home-grown New Zealand shapers there were. Why some retailers would have any desire to carry mass produced imported surfboards is beyond us. So we were incredibly pleased to see some national pride on display in a cool surf store called The Board Lab in Takapuna on Auckland’s north shore. Funny thing is, Simon Amos, who runs the store, is from Santa Cruz. We spoke with him about his decision to exclusively stock Kiwi shapers. “Initially we mostly stocked Primal Surfboards. Glen is just down the drive from us and makes a really nice board. We then started to carry local shapers like Hughes, Feestix, J Dub, Razor and HC, and we will continue to add more. “My reasoning is simple. I want to get people on the right board. Local shapers know what boards work best on our breaks. So we talk with our customers about what they need, where they surf and what will suit those local conditions. With the right board your surfing improves and you have a hell of a lot more fun. “Other than that, I think it is important to support the local industry and personally believe Kiwi shapers, in the main glass their boards better than the vast majority of imports. They are more durable.”
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP The easiest way to describe Piha is breathtaking. It may sound like a cliché but from atop the Waitakere Ranges as Piha comes into full view you are greeted with a most awe inspiring panorama of rugged cliffs, the wild Tasman sea, volcanic black sand beaches and lush hillsides. In the gloomy conditions it almost had a foreboding, prehistoric feel about it. On one hand you’re bristling with excitement and on the other you are absolutely packing your duds.
ABOVE: The view from the ‘Surf Check Deck‘ at the Piha Surf Shop is plain mindblowing. PHOTO BEN VOS
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A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE BEACH… It’s a fitting way to start a story like this. You see we were racing to get to Piha so we could catch local shaper, Mike Jolly, before he finished for the day. It was nearing 5pm and Ben had the pedal to the metal of our motorhome, driving around clifftop corners like a madman. We got to Mike’s place just before closing time and took in the magnificent view. It was there we noticed the surf was going off. It looked like a nice clean 3-4ft swell. But we were a long, long way away. Mike informed us it was a fair bit bigger. We start chatting to Mike, who is an incredibly affable, down-to-earth bloke, and then realised the sun was starting to disappear rather suddenly, amidst the overcast skies. We cut our conversation short after a mere 10 minutes and in keeping with our ‘surfing local boards’ quest, hit Mike up for some boards of his to test, and promptly left. Driving down the road towards South Piha it dawned on us what just happened. We just met a bloke, spoke to him for only a couple of minutes and grabbed a couple of his personal boards and took off. You have to love New Zealand. (We’ll get back to Mike later there’s a wave on!)
Piha is comprised of two distinct beaches. Lion Rock, the eroded core of an ancient volcano (aptly named because it dead set looks like one) divides North Piha and South Piha. When we arrived at the beach near dusk, North Piha was near deserted, so we gave it a swerve. Most of the surfers were concentrated near the southern end of South Piha near Camel Rock. What can we say, New Zealanders love their animals but this rock did also resemble a camel. The surf wasn’t huge but it was undeniably daunting. When it’s low light, the waves are thundering in, the water is moving around like a washing machine, you’re on a foreign board and you have no idea what kind of bottom lies underneath, it can freak you out a little. A couple of big swooshes down a wave face later however was enough to calm the nerves and get us hooting and hollering. From there it was back to the campgrounds for a warm shower and up to the Piha RSA Club for a couple of beers and a good feed, the perfect way to finish the day.
ABOVE: We arrive in Piha to waves and meeting Mike Jolly and his lawnmower. 50
The next morning, the swell had dropped off a little but cleaned up a lot and we caught some of the most fun waves we were to have all trip.
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP may/jun 2012
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ABOVE: Day two on a Piha Surf diamond tail quad longboard. BELOW: The view from the “Surf check deck” at Piha Surf.
PIHA LOCAL:
MIKE JOLLY PIHA SURF
…. So back to our conversation with Mike that was so rudely interrupted by our desire to get a surf in before feeding time. We caught up with Mike the next morning and got a chance to have a proper conversation. With an uncanny resemblance to moustachioed bandito Graham Howard of Island Surf Shack on Phillip Island, he is a top bloke as well. Perhaps they’re related and don’t even know it? But I digress. Mike is a Kiwi who moved to Australia many moons ago with his wife and set up camp on the Sunshine Coast. I told you he was a top bloke and that’s probably why he is also such a friggin’ good surfer, but being Sunshine Coast locals, we’re a little biased.
boards Piha Surf Surf
used was definitely a The 6’8” shortboard we but still a lot of fun in s, day ger gun for the big nced. The extra length the conditions we experie there was plenty of and er aided paddling pow give Dave a nervous drive. The pointy nose did his penguin injuries... g erin sid twitch though, con 2012 edition) (see the January-Febuary ndations are his quadMike’s personal recomme s - a really interesting ard gbo fin diamond-tail lon gth board, which went take on a traditional len waves. al like a rocket in the loc
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Anyhow Mike’s lovely wife Pam got homesick and wanted to return to NZ. Mike agreed on one condition, that they lived near the beach. Piha was the chosen destination. They returned in the early 70s. In those days the road into Piha was gravel. There was a mix of hippies and retirees that called the place home. When the surf was on there would be around twenty or so in the water. Nowadays there would be fifty or more on just the one break in summer. But as Mike says, “You can’t live in the past.” And if you want to get away from the crowds, all you have to do is go to the next beach along.
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The reason no doubt for Piha’s popularity is not just its proximity to the centre of Auckland but the plain fact the place is magic. We asked Mike a couple of questions about life in Piha, his boards and staying at his place. “We do love it here. Nowadays there are around 100 people that live in Piha and maybe 40 or 50 of those are surfers. We have a very small group of locals compared to the 200 that consider this their local beach because this is where they come to surf. “Piha has always been the most popular of all the west coast Auckland beaches because it’s the only one you can park right where the waves are. There are a number of quality beach breaks around Piha. Karekare is the next one down. You have a 10 minute walk down to the beach. Whites beach is north of Piha, which we surf when it is really small. You have to paddle to the point or walk there, which takes about 20 minutes. Anawhata is north of that. You park at the top of the hill and it’s a 20 minute walk down and 40 minutes back up so you don’t go there too often with a longboard.”
PIHA: THE POWER “In the winter time we regularly get 5m swells. They are not usually rideable and that is when you go south to Raglan or north to Shipwreck Bay. There is just too much water breaking too far out and it’s too hard to get to. Humungous rips. “There is always a lot of water moving around, especially South Piha because it is a small beach and it cops all the swell coming in and so it only has one way to go out. The swell generally comes in on a sort of a southwesterly angle and the water rushes back out near the rocks. When it is moving, which is often, you can’t paddle against it. “But Piha is a good surf beach. Contrary to popular belief, it is actually better when the surf is smaller. It used to handle big surf. I can remember back in the 80’s it was quite common to surf 10 or 12 ft waves out here because the sand was in such perfect condition and the waves would just peel across the whole bay. But we can’t live in the past.
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP
e so “It can b ... in a day le b a e g n cha can turn e id t e h T a d all of n a in a g a ’s 10ft.” sudden it “There are young guys who charge big surf out here still that have grown up surfing the area. I leave that to them. I am always measuring things on the fear scale. ‘Am I going to get hurt? I got hurt last time it was that size. I don’t want that again.’
“There were certain aspects of his boards I liked so I starting shaping a variation of my own - longboard quads with a diamond tail. I have used them for years. It shortens the rail line a little bit. Makes a 9ft feel like an 8”10. It’s what I like.”
“It can be so changeable in a day with the tides. The tide can go out and the swell can drop with it. The tide can turn again and all of a sudden it’s 10ft. It keeps you on your toes.”
Mike also shapes shortboards, fishes, guns, hybrids, mini mals, you name it, and from what we saw out in the water, he has a very loyal following. We thoroughly enjoyed the boards we rode - a longboard quad and a gun that had heaps of paddle power, perfect for combating the swirling water that runs in, out and around South Piha.
We noticed a seal last night swimming on his side with one flipper up. I am sure the little bugger was intentionally imitating a shark, saying to his mates, ‘Watch this guys. I will scare the s#*t out of these surfers.’ Mike tells us that occasionally they will have orcas visit, but that is very rare. THE PATH TO SHAPING “There was a guy in Tugun on the Gold Coast called Nigel Beckham. He made these longboards that had twin fins. He called it his Revolutwiin design. I used to head over to Burleigh a couple of times a year and on my return bring a couple of his boards back to New Zealand. As time went by it got harder and harder to cart them back and pretty soon I started making my own boards. 54
As well as being the local shaper and ding repairer, Mike has accommodation on site in the way of caravans with cabins attached to them. Each is nestled away amongst bushland with their own private little area. They’re perfect for ‘backpackers, surfers, campers and trampers’ as Mike puts it and costs start from as little as $25 per person. Piha is a unique place that will etch itself in your memory forever. When you visit make sure you meet some of its unique people too with your first stop being the Jolly home and store.
MIDDLE: Despite the foreboding, dramatic scenery, there’s friendly banter and a good vibe in the water at Piha. ABOVE: Obey the rock and have one more wave...
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Manu Did you know: n as w Bay (also kno atured fe The Point) was rfing su in the 1966 cult mer m Su movie Endless ovie m 10 and in the 20 . se di Last Para
ABOVE: Mickey T fish fun at Manu Bay LEFT: Raglan boasts quirky shops and restaurants ACROSS TOP: The view across Raglan’s points
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The drive from Piha to Raglan took us around three hours and once past Hamilton wound us along some country roads that just seem to put you in a daze and help you relax. Once there, Raglan lived up to our expectations. It was a super cool little coastal town that could almost be described as a miniature Byron Bay, but to be fair we thought it had its own, distinct vibe going on. Lots of trendy little cafes, some great surf shops and one awesome local pub, the Harbour View Hotel added to the appeal. Being mid-Autumn, it was reasonably quiet. You could just imagine how the joint would be bustling in the height of summer. We stayed at the Raglan Kopua Holiday Park, which was nice and quiet, but central to everything - literally only a couple of hundred metres walk across the footbridge to town. We booked for a single night and ending up staying another. We could have easily stayed a whole lot more. Raglan like good ol’ Byron - has that effect of drawing you in, like some sort of vortex...
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RAGLAN LOCAL:
MICKEY T RAGLAN LONGBOARDS Raglan was without doubt one of the most eagerly anticipated surf destinations on our trip. Having seen and read so much about it but never been, it was in a sense our New Zealand mecca.
ABOVE: Warm welcomes once again. Chewing the fat with Mickey T on the deck of Raglan Longboards. BELOW: Mickey T produces a number of brands in his tranquil green and clean shaping bay
Many friends who had visited the small beachside town worded us up that the guy to see for a performance shortboard was local shaper Craig Hughes. If we were looking to surf Raglan the way that made it famous, Mickey T was the man. Unfortunately we missed catching up with Craig but got a chance to check out his impressive Raglan Surf Store. We did however manage to have a chat with Mickey and what a good bloke he was. Being such a hardcore surf town we honestly thought the shapers might be ‘too cool for school’. Mickey certainly wasn’t. He was incredibly friendly and gave us an enormous amount of his time. In fact he epitomises why surfers need to get back in contact with their local shaper. These are the guys who can ‘T’ up, pardon the pun, the right board for you and actually improve your surfing. Mickey explained to us how seriously he takes his role as a custom shaper. “I love dealing face to face with customers and talking about what they are after. When you have met someone there is an even greater emphasis on delivering what you say you will. Our job is to listen to the customer and handcraft something that suits their body and surfing style that will maximise the fun they have in the water. We survive on our integrity.” To be frank, the knowledge that guys like Mickey possess can’t be found in a cheap $500 Chinese board. You may think that is quite harsh but I tell you what, the proof is in the pudding. We grabbed three of Mickey’s boards for a test run and they were sublime. And if three below average surfers aren’t validation enough for how good his boards are, Mickey himself is the over 50s NZ champ 3 years running and his team riders have taken out the junior and senior division longboarding comps. So there you go, kooks and rippers love his boards. So where did it all start? Mickey gave us a brief rundown on his history and the present focus of his shaping. “I was born and bred in Raglan. I started surfing when I was 15. When I was 19 I dropped out of university and got a job at a fibreglass factory in Hamilton. I pretty much didn’t fancy dagging sheep for a living. Pretty soon that business landed the Clark Foam franchise for NZ and I became a foam blower. I blew some 5000 surfboards blanks.” Many elite shapers can lay claim to making a board from start to finish but not so many could possibly say they have undertaken the whole process including blowing the foam. “After a few years I went to Aussie for a 6-month stay like all Kiwis and ending up staying for 3 years (we add, ‘like all Kiwis ha, ha’). “There I worked a number of glassing jobs and ending up at Miami Surf Designs working for Tony Etherington. I
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP ten “Our job is to lis to the customer and handcraft suits something that their body and surfing style”
then came back to Raglan, which was pretty quiet and not a place to make a living so I headed off to Hawaii.” Mickey spent the next 5 years in the States working first in Hawaii and then San Clemente in California and glassed the best part of 10,000 boards. “I hadn’t thought of building surfboards as a career until I went to the States in 1986. My friend K.T from Raglan introduced me to Gerry Smith, the shaper at Poi Dog Surfboards on the North Shore. He gave me a job glassing for him which led to a couple of years on Oahu and Kauai, glassing boards for a large array of shapers, including Dick Brewer, Keone Downing, Pat Rawson and Billy Hamilton. “These guys were the who’s who of surfboard design at the time and it proved to be a rich experience at the centre of the surfboard shaping world. “I had always wanted to check out California and a shaper mate named Randy Sleigh directed me to his hometown of San Clemente
and Herbie Fletcher’s Surf Shop, where, within a week, I was the fulltime glasser.” Over the next three years Mickey glassed boards around that area for many labels and shapers, including Herbie Fletcher, Infinity, Timmy Patterson, Chris McElroy, and a fledgling Matt ‘Mayhem’ Biolos of Lost fame. “When I returned to New Zealand Billy Hamilton licensed me to shape the Bear label the next year. Bear was a great vehicle to get some further shaping mileage under my belt (some 20 odd years we may add) until I took the next logical step on my journey, which is Raglan Longboards. These days I’m shaping from my own premises behind our shop on Wainui Rd, on the way to the beach. I do my own line of Mickey T Custom Shapes – longboards, hybrids and classics along with the Bear customs and stock models.”
“You can have a big, fat, floaty board but unless it has got an efficient rocker it is basically a big fat piece of poop. It is just stopping you from getting out through the white water, hurling you back at the beach. It may float you but you won’t catch a wave on it. “With our high-performance longboard I think we have got it right. I challenge anyone in Australia to make a better high performance EPS longboard that rides better than this one. Bring it on!” (laughs) Whatever you do, if you are in Raglan and are after the real deal, call in and see Mickey T. As he so rightly puts it, “Being willfully old fashioned, we hope that there are enough surfers out there that want a real surfboard.”
We asked Mickey what the focus of his designs are of late, in particular his high performance longboards. “It’s about being lean and super efficient. No excess baggage. may/jun 2012
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A private hideaway, just 2 minutes walk to the beach, peace & tranquillity at its best. Tents, campervans or caravans, backpackers, cabins or motel units. Hosts: Mary and Rob Clark Address: Marine Parade, Raglan
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP
said to be Manu Bay is t accessible the longest, mos left-hand and consistent orld. break in the w
Raglan is without doubt one of the most famous breaks in the world. And yes, it is probably best when it is 8ft+ breaking on Outside Indicators with barrels that propel you along at Mach speed... The day we got there it wasn’t. It was probably around 2ft shore slop breaking close to Wainui Beach but that didn’t stop us from having
a hell of a fun surf. We were just happy to be there. The sun was out, the vibe in the water was friendly and we were just stoked to have experienced Raglan in some shape or form. In a surfing sense, it is hallowed ground and we had just crossed another surf spot off our bucket list.
rds... Raglan longboa tions Mickey T’s crea n left) may be The HP Longboard (show , but it was his Mickey’s signature model (right), that LB i Min the n, atio latest cre fed, as sur we ons shone in the conditi our hearts into y wa its d rke wo as well and Christmas wishlist. en version of Basically, a 6’6” shrunk se and fast as goo a the HP, it’s loose as dle power, pad of nty ple th Wi . ket a roc n just a tha re mo lot a the Mini LB is ard. It’s easy to shrunken-down longbo great board for ride, so its essentially a ers will have inn Beg . people of all levels it work. And the ke ma l wil s pro and fun finish doesn’t hurt resin work and quality one little bit! rd the appeal of the boa
TOP: Master glasser at Raglan Longboards and local Raglan ripper, Dave Elly. Photo: Jwan Milek, www.mileksurfimages.com LEFT: Nowhere near as impressive, master slop groveller, Dave Swan. may/jun 2012
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NIALL & ANNA PIWIWIWI CAMPERS PiwiWiwi is a campervan rental company based in Raglan catering specifically for surfers. We met the lovely couple who run the business, Anna and Niall, while we were in town. “We came up with the idea after doing a fair bit of travel ourselves. Two years ago we did a year-long surf trip that took us to Bali, Australia, New Zealand, California, Equador and Peru. “We designed our vans with straps so your surfboards could be stored out of the way in the ceiling. That way you weren’t tripping over them all the time and you didn’t have to store them on the outside of the van, where they could be stolen.” Each van can store up to three shortboards and one longboard. As for how long you can go? “We’ve frequently used them with a 9’2” but nothing bigger so far. Skis and snowboards will be fine too.” What’s amazing is they also offer a pick-up and drop-off service. Even though they are based in Raglan, Niall or Anna will collect you from either Hamilton or Auckland airport, which is over 3 hours away. Now that’s service. “The reason why we do this is because if you are an overseas visitor, particularly long haul travelers, we recommend you don’t pick up a campervan when you’re jetlagged. You may be driving on the opposite side of the road in a vehicle that is twice the size of what you are used to. “We come to the airport, pick you up, drive you down to Raglan and then you can start off your holiday the way it should be – relaxed by the seaside. It has been really popular with our customers.” “So many people come over for a surf holiday in New Zealand. It is a bit of an iconic thing the campervan holiday. It is a really good way of getting to the breaks and being able to chill out. You can pull up, sit back with a cup of tea and wait for the wind to come right or the perfect tide.”
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Never wanting to be left out of an adventure, Joel Coleman of Saltmotion Gallery in Manly decided to jump on board when his mate Dan Mulligan decided to head to NZ for a surf trip. After last minute arrangements, an eventful flight with gracious airhostesses that ended up with free first class drinks for all, the group of roadtripping boys arrived in Auckland, picked up their 7.5m motorhome and headed to Raglan, which is where our stories cross paths...
WORDS AND PHOTOS: JOEL COLEMAN, SALTMOTION
“Raglan. This area is one of the most famous point break set-ups in the country and, by no means a secret - it could almost be called the home of New Zealand surfing. There are several different points to surf and a few worldclass beach breaks as well. We arrived well into the night, parked up and I crashed out. The other three had managed to consume a bottle of rum on the highway and decided it would be a good idea to ‘live in the moment’ and crack into the two bottles of Dom Perignon that were gifted to us courtesy of our ‘friendly’ air-hostess. I awoke at dawn, looked out the window of the motorhome to the view that any surfer dreams of. A perfect day. I grabbed a camera and went to work. The car park started to fill, as the sun rose the locals started to arrive and were obviously pretty excited to have such great conditions. I overheard a few conversations that went along the lines of ‘best day in ages’, ‘slightly smaller than yesterday, but much cleaner’, you get the idea – it was “on like Dom Perignon” – Unfortunately the boys were a little worse for wear and although I tried to wake them, they were in no state to surf just yet. I kept photographing, knowing that the trip may not see waves like this again, I knew I had to make the most of it. Eventually the crew woke and dusted themselves off. Once they saw a few hollow ones roll down the point they sobered up pretty fast and we all hit the water. We had an amazing first morning’s surf, even though the fellas were a little wobbly in the legs, it was a great start to the trip. Once we were all surfed out, and that really did not take too long for some, Josh could be heard saying: “That’s it, no more drinking. Health starts today” – yeah yeah…
Raglan
Gisborne Taranaki Hawkes Bay
We had a few small things that needed to be sorted out in town, like phones and internet access so I could post the daily Salmotion photos throughout the trip. When the wind came up around midday, it made the decision pretty easy to move on. We headed off and, after checking a few swell and weather reports, decided to drive north, right up to the top of the west coast. On the way out of Raglan we saw a group of girls, hitchhiking, holding up a sign saying “waterfall”. Of course being the good may/jun 2012
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP natured, kind hearted gentlemen we are, we stopped to pick them up. It turned out to be a good decision. We stopped off for an hour at the most amazing waterfall and I managed to get some of my favorite photographs of the trip. That night we got well and truly lost, wound our way down a few dirt tracks to a gate that, according to the map, was where we wanted to be but, according to Dan, was no where close. We back tracked into the hills for a while then decided to call the mission off and wait until dawn, which was only a few hours away. The beauty of a motor home is that any place will do for the night – got to love that!
TOP: Raglan lived up to the legend and went off ABOVE: Bridal Veil Falls RIGHT & BELOW: Every surf trip needs a soundtrack, in the motorhome or under a tree
At first light we realised we had actually been in the right spot the night before, so we headed back to look for waves. There was a small swell and we did get a couple of rides in, but really the swell was on the decline, the tide was up and we were not going to score much in the way of waves that day. We decided to hang out at the beach, bask in the sunshine, go for a swim, listen to Josh and James belt out a few tunes on the guitar and generally chill out for a while... It was about this time in the trip that I started to think that all the Kiwis I had 66
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met in Sydney were conspiring against us. New Zealand is beautiful, really beautiful. When you drive from place to place, coast to coast, the scenery is amazing. I won’t go into the clichés to describe it, but if you take spectacular, breathtaking, awesome, inspiring, put them all in a sentence and throw in the odd noun, you’re still nowhere close. Add to that the fact that everyone kept telling me the South Island was even better and my theory about the Kiwi conspiracy starts to make more sense. You see I live in Sydney where, statistically, there are more New Zealanders than in New Zealand. I’m not sure how that works either, but trust me it’s true. My neighbors in the next apartment are from N.Z. My mate across the street is a Kiwi and you only need to go to a pub when the All Blacks are playing to know that there is an abundance of New Zealander’s in Sydney. So why, if New Zealand is as amazing and beautiful as I have tired to describe, are so many of them coming to Australia? From talking to most of them it is about work and the opportunities. But that still does not explain why you don’t hear New Zealanders raving about how good their home country is. Personally I think they are trying to keep it quiet. I think they are more than happy to have the majority of Australians head to Bali each year rather than crowding the line-ups they love and grew up surfing. 68
Next, we arrived in Gisborne, a town with some rich surfing options. We headed straight for the beach and pulled up to see a few happy, smiling cops arresting a few young fellas for selling weed. The cops seemed pretty relaxed about the whole thing, as did the guys being arrested. It seems even getting in trouble with the cops in NZ can be a good laugh. Anyway, the surf was totally blown out, the forecast was for more onshore rubbish and we were left with no real options if we wanted to surf. Knowing we had a bit of time up our sleeves before conditions improved, we took a little detour to visit a friend of mine who lived in the Hawkes Bay area; an area not known for it’s waves, but kind of on the way to somewhere else that was…
about surfing. Shayne offered to pick us up in the morning and take us to a four wheel drive access only beach where there would be a wave.
Throwing on some true Kiwi hospitality, we arrived to a home-cooked meal and a long hot shower (the first of the trip so far). The thing is, when we picked up the motorhome they showed us a DVD of how everything worked, including the toilet and shower, and what was involved to ‘empty it’. Unanimously we agreed that the shower / toilet was off limits. The ‘washroom’ then served as a good storage spot for wet wetsuits instead.
Leaving Hawkes Bay was bitter-sweet. We had enjoyed such an amazing time there, scoring waves with the locals. I also had to say goodbye to a friend who I would rather see more frequently. But we had waves to find and more of the country to see. The boys were hung over again and as we drove out of Lea’s driveway I heard Josh from the back of the campervan “Health starts today boys…”
Sitting around at Lea’s place, a mate of hers, Shayne, dropped by and we started talking
Stoked on the idea, we agreed to meet him in the morning and he came through with the goods. We drove along a beautifully deserted beach and ran into only two other cars with a handful of surfers. As the boys jumped in and started picking off a few waves I asked Shayne where to stash the keys when I went out for a wave after I was done photographing. “In the ignition bro – no one around here’s going to steal your stuff. Don’t stress – come surf”. Life in New Zealand is still good, honest and wholesome - that made me smile.
Our next destination was Taranaki - a mecca for surfers with its exposed breaks but notoriously fickle with winds. We knew not to expect much
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bro... no “In the ignition, re’s going one around he stuff. to steal your m co e surf” Don’t stress,
as we had checked the forecast, but we figured we would head there and hope for the best. Looking at a map, there was no direct route across the country so we picked a town along the way and headed to Taupo. I’m not sure why, but the Kiwis have a habit of thrillseeking any way they can. If there is something natural to jump off, fly from, roll down, tumble with, raft over, or free fall out of, they have it covered. If there are no natural structures, no problem, you can jump off the highest building in Auckland, of course you can! When I asked Shayne about this, he just looked at me and said: “just looking for something to do bro”. At the time, we were standing at the top of a mountain in Hawkes Bay, with a road to the top that I was scared to drive up. On arriving at the top we saw two hang gliding launch ramps and a dozen or so mountain bike tracks that I would honestly not even walk down let alone ride a pushie down – these people are crazy, and I love that! So we arrived in Taupo around lunchtime. I had missed the last fuel station leaving Hawkes Bay thinking we had enough to get us to our destination. While the guys chilled in the back I quietly sweated as the needle on the fuel gauge
headed south and stayed there with the light on for a very long time. When we eventually reached the town I pumped 79.74 litres of diesel into an 80-litre tank. Easy, more than enough to spare! It was a perfect blue-sky day. With no chance of a wave that day, it was agreed that we would jump out of an airplane, enough said, just do it, and it was done... Still on our mission to get to Taranaki, we took the most direct route we could see on the map, “The Forgotten World Highway”. Holy hell they named it well. Take a pen and a piece of paper, blindfold yourself and try and draw concentric circles on a page in three different directions. The resulting squiggle will give you somewhat of an idea as to what this road is like. We twisted and wound ourselves around for hours through the valleys and mountains, awestruck by the beauty and terrified by the bends, until we finally came out the other side to ‘Changs Taranaki Chinese Buffet’, we were in Taranaki! Digging into some crispy skinned fried chicken and washing it down with a soft drink I heard Josh mutter: “Health starts tomorrow boys” The gamble to head to Taranaki did not pay off. The winds were howling and the swell kind of
small, add to that the clouds had rolled in and the views of the volcano that we had hoped to see were totally whited out. We flicked through a few maps, logged onto the local swell forecasting charts and made a plan to head back to Raglan for our last day’s surfing. A few hours later we were soaking up a few slightly onshore but very ridable point break lefts. We surfed until the tide totally bottomed out and then headed into town for one last mission on the trip. James had been talking about a Maori style tattoo for some time and rumor had it that there was a local guy that would be able to help. We asked around and found his details from the guy in the video store. James and Simon discussed ideas and symbolism before Simon said a prayer of Maori origin and got to work with needle and ink. It turns out the size of the piece was going to require a long time to complete. While James sat through until 1am, the rest of us made camp in the motorhome, listened to Josh strum a few tunes and had an early night. James was going hard with Simon to get the body art complete. They began again at 7:00am for another three hours, leaving us just enough time to get the motorhome back to the rental company and us to the airport. may/jun 2012
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By this stage in the trip we had managed to score one shower at Lea’s place and that was it. When we arrived at the motorhome rental depot to pack all our gear and get ready for the flight home, we could have kissed the attendant when he told us there was a shower in the office area we were welcome to use. Fresh and clean, we were hoping to see our favourite airhostess on the flight home. Alas it was not to be, which was probably a good thing as everyone was pretty tired and all we wanted was to relax a while and watch a film. So the trip came to an end, “health started tomorrow…”
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New Zealand was not a place I would have picked in my top ten places to go on a surf trip, but it has certainly muscled its way into the top ten list of places I want to visit again. If you are interested in mind blowing landscapes and good waves then I say go, get a group of mates together and book a motorhome, it’s an amazing way to see the country. I promise you will not be disappointed – and I only saw the North Island… The day after I arrived back in Manly I ran into my Kiwi neighbours, they all asked how the trip was and the smile on my face was a dead giveaway, “it’s pretty good there, ay...” was all they needed to say to get my agreement. And if the surf goes flat you can always throw yourself off the side of a cliff in some creative way!
*Photo is a sample only Each suit is e absolutely uniqu to you and your order.
As far as my recommendations for travel go, the Perfect Wave Surf Experience Specialists can get you there, organise the best rates on the motorhome and even organise you a surf guide. We spent a week, but could easily have spent a month… Don’t just think about it - GO.
The Custom Made Wetsuit online shopping page will be updated shortly. Order surfing, diving, fishing and rubber accessories, computer bags, camera bags, stubbie coolers and any other requests (really anything).
Tel: 02 6685 8778 Fax: 02 6680 8932 Factory Showroom: 3 Banksia Drive Byron Bay Industrial Estate BYRON BAY NSW 2481 e: info@mcsurf.com.au
Back
www.mcsurf.com.au
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terested “If you are in g in mindblowin nd good landscapes a say go...” waves, then I
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Photo: Ben Vos
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LEFT: Taranaki living history. The walls of Nigel Dwyer’s man-cave at the Del Surfboards factory tell a story of far more than a thousand words.
With the Taranaki region being the last stop for Joel’s road trip, this is as good a spot to pick up our part of the tale again as any. As far as our travel arrangements go, boards are always a top priority so a visit to this area would not be complete without dropping in to see the guys who create what are considered to be some of the finest examples of expert craftsmanship and finishing you will ever see. DEL SURFBOARDS are an institution in New Zealand. They were founded in New Plymouth back in 1965 by Dave Littlejohn and Nigel Dwyer, an ex-Cronulla surfer who came to the shaky isles in search of waves. They were later joined by master shaper Robert Walsh in the early 70s. ‘Walshy’ has been Nigel’s right hand man since and today Del Surfboards are the longest standing board manufacturer in the country. So despite the fact we got waylayed by the floods up north we could not bypass the opportunity to catch up with Nigel and ‘Walshy’ no matter how far behind schedule we were. We set the sat nav and made our way to Del. When we arrived we weren’t disappointed.
NEW PLYMOUTH LOCAL:
NIGEL DWYER DEL SURFBOARDS Nigel greets us and leads us into what is a bit of a memorabilia room adorned with old surfing photos and vintage boards. At one hundred miles an hour he recalls tales of the past and a rapid history of how Del Surfboards came to be. Entertaining, energetic and one funny bastard, he has us laughing for the next hour. “I was always a glasser. I never shaped. I started with Jacko (Brian Jackson) at Cronulla. Then I went to Johnny Rhodes and Norm Casey. I did some work with Joey Larkin repairing boards in QLD and hung out with all those mongrels like Russell Hughes, McTavish, Fury (Brian Austin) and Mick Dooley (laughs) 1961 that was. Then I went back to Casey’s and then came over here in 1965 in search of good waves and cheap ice cream.” Since that time he has forged possibly the longest running partnership in the history of the surfboard industry with his good mate ‘Walshy’. Robert Walsh is one of NZ’s most experienced shapers who is fully versed on boards from all eras as well as the most upto-date shaping techniques and innovative design. may/jun 2012
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We asked both Nigel and Walshy what it has been like to work with each other for so long. In unison they replied, “He’s a dickhead.”
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Nigel then seriousy adds, ”No Walshy is a freak. He knows how to shape so many boards because he has shaped through all the eras. He’s that old. Guys like him are few and far between. “Our industry is losing too many talented shapers because there just isn’t the work. And now we have those shaping machines, which don’t get me wrong are good but you have to first be a true handshaper to use that machine. Too many guys operating them don’t have that intimate understanding of handshaping a board and the finesse involved in fine tuning a design to make it work. A surfboard is more than just a set of measurements. I mean ‘hello’, we now have machine shaped boards copying machine shaped boards - making clones of the clones.” Whilst walking through the factory we noted a different approach to glassing the boards that caught our eye. We asked Nigel about this approach. “Yeah, we glass our boards different. We still maintain it is the best way. Nipper Williams and
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myself developed the technique. I don’t agree with freelap (where the fiberglass cloth just hangs over the edge and resin is then applied to stick it down). It is fast but you end up with an uneven line. The glass wavers and this also makes it harder to sand. That is why you see sand-throughs on the rails.
“ A surfboard is more than just a set of measurements.” “We actually wrap the cloth around tight, trim it, so it blends in with the rail line and then tape the cloth down. That way you get a good amount of resin into the cloth and work it up to the tapeline. You have an eye-beam top and bottom.” Just hearing simply processes like this confirm Nigel’s obsession with the finer details of surfboard design and construction. Del Surfboards are the epitome of perfection. The Taranaki region is well known for its versatile and formidable surfing coastline. If you are planning on heading there, make sure you call into Del Surfboards and see for yourself what quality craftsmanship is all about.
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The Invincible - Del’s signature model Nigel explains the design:
“People think you need a big wide nose to noseride. That’s bullshit. There is too much drag. You want a nice, narrow, concave nose with wide hips. They noseride a thousand times better. That’s what we have done with this board. “The Invincible is a longboard designed for longboarding. If you want to go off the lip and do re-entries and all that stuff, get a good shortboard.”
ABOVE: Del Surfboards’ Nigel Dwyer RIGHT: Master shaper Robert Walsh and Nigel with their pride and joy - The Invincible BELOW: Del Surfboards team rider Matt King showing just how comfortable he can be on the nose of The Invincible. PHOTO: supplied courtesy of Daisy Day Surf Images
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‘ARCH’ ARTHUR BEACH STREET SURF SHOP After catching up with the boys at Dell we called by Beach Street Surf to see Wayne ‘Arch’ Arthur, a man involved in all things surf related in Taranaki. Arch of course has his own surf store along with two clothing lines, Black Sand and Lost in the 60s. He publishes a monthly surf newspaper entitled ‘Taranaki Daily Surf’ featuring photos from around the local beaches and surf comps. He is heavily involved in the New Plymouth Surf Riders Club, which just so happens to be right on the foreshore of Fitzroy Beach and boasts some 400 members. And, he co-hosts the Out the Back Surf Show with fellow local surf fantaic, JM on 100.4 The Most FM. Arch asked if we would be guests on the show and we graciously accepted spending the afternoon ‘in the booth’ drinking Steinlager and talking drivel about the mag... All in a normal days work at smorgasboarder really. It was a priviledge to be involved in the local show and a lot of fun to sit down for a chat - despite Arch’s attempts at Aussie-bashing at every opportunity, that is. We’re only extremely sorry we didn’t get a chance to catch up with the crew at the local boardriders club for Friday arvo drinks on the deck. Our ferry to the South Island, however, wouldn’t wait, so we hightailed it to Wellington for the next exciting leg of our journey.
TOP: Interview time for local radio on the Out The Back Surf Show. ABOVE: Feeling a little sheepish in a very Kiwi shirt at Beach Street Surf Shop. 76
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP
“I could’ve gone to any other English speaking country but chose NZ because the lifestyle I had heard about fitted exactly what I was looking for at the time. Surfing and ‘uncrowdedness’ were part of my choice for a destination.” French filmmaker, Nicolas Brikké, has released his first surfing movie, SEWN about the longboarding scene in New Zealand. We talk to him about the film, the making and Orcas. WORDS: MARK CHAPMAN
Having moved to NZ in 2006 to pursue a Masters in Science in Geophysics at Victoria University of Wellington, he spent time surfing, competing on the longboard tour and travelling around the country. “Filmmaking had always been a part time passion and it wasn’t long before I started experimenting with board cameras with some friends and gathered footage from the 4 coasts of the North Island. I used that footage to introduce the concept of SEWN (South-East-West-North) to a national surfing short film competition, which I won. That night I decided to give a fresh slant to my life and career, and the next day I enrolled in a film degree at University. The idea of doing 78
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a surf documentary sounded like the best thing to do after three years of scientific research! And so every effort I did was directed towards making it happen, and it did!” A variety of custom-built camera setups were used for footage in the movie, all in the days before GoPros, Nicolas tells us. “It all started with a little waterproof digital camera on the end of a long metal staff and a hole drilled through the fin box of the longboard. We had to use the camera portrait-wise to get a full body shot. I smashed two of those. I then got a waterproof camcorder and designed, together with engineers at Vic Uni, a housing to prevent it from
getting smashed and to hold a wideangle converter in front of the camera lens. The whole thing cost me 24 beers. I also ordered a Longboard from Roger Hall with special screw pads on the nose and tail in order to screw different kinds of pods to the board. Nicolas says the pods were built of drain pipe and aluminium and were pretty dangerous, but despite the arrival of GoPros on the scene, he decided to stick to his homespun rig. “I knew that the Kiwis would appreciate the fact that I made it myself” The Kiwis he met on his trip certainly did, giving him the opportunity to spend some time with very inspiring characters of the local surf scene, including Moti Procter.
“It turned out to be deeply moving to learn not only the struggle that he had to go through as a young Maori in the English society, but also the formidable path he chose to take and the fact he took his family along to do their bit to save not only the Maori customs and rituals, but also the Te Reo Maori, the Maori language. I’ve got enormous respect for him and his family. “Roger Hall’s story is also compelling and moving, going from a lone kid, to a mad-scientist to one of the world’s most innovative and creative surfboard craftsman. You just have to go inside his factory and see how he does things, and the ‘minuteness’ of some of his woodwork. His drive and quest for perfection without listening too
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unity and “It’s a film about tanding, about peace and unders ten, to learn taking time to lis and for this about the other, to anybody reason, it appeals and everybody.” much to what the general public has to say about it, is something that’s guided me in the last year. “ In real-life drama Nicolas was lucky enough to capture, an Orca known as Putita decided to beach itself in front of Roger Hall’s house in Ruakaka. ”We grabbed the camera and got some incredible footage of Putita’s mother, Yin, endeavouring to help him. His brother, Rua, came out from the depth to assist too. There were a lot of people on the beach but nothing much was happening. “Along with Roger Hall and SEWN co-producer Kirsten Berrett, we decided to put on the wetsuits and at least go and spray Putita with some
water as his skin was getting dry. By the time we came back, Orca expert Dr. Ingrid Visser was there, organising the Department of Conservation officials for the attempt to rescue the Orca. She saw us in wetsuits and told us to come and join the effort so we went in the water to help push him back out to safety. “Before we entered the water, Dr. Visser went out by herself in waist deep water and talked to Putita, then went in chest deep water and talked to the distraught Yin and Rua who were peacefully listening to her. After an hour of pushing Putita, he finally managed to get loose and join his family again. The scenes of the family reuniting is one of the most
MAIN: Lyall Bay in Wellington. Surf meets runway. TOP: Orca Rescue Ruakaka ABOVE: Nicolas and his mounted boardcam Photos supplied by Nicolas Brikké emotional signs of affection I’ve seen from animals, something I, and everybody involved, will never forget! The footage we shot got screened the day after on TV3, and on CBS News New York the day after. Three days after the beaching, Putita, Yin and Rua came by in front of Ingrid’s house and spent a bit of time with her, as a sign of gratitude.” Not a bad stroke of luck for a filmmaker-to-be. Over 30 screenings later, SEWN has enjoyed 1500 spectators and close to 400 DVDs have been sold. “I’ve had overwhelming responses from longboarders and shortboarders alike, from young and old, music lovers
and musicians, Maoris, Kiwis and foreigners in the four corners of the two main islands of the country. I went to show it in NZ first to gauge whether my vision was truthful to their concept of NZ, and it is.” For a heartfelt look into the lives of the North Island longboarding community, get your hands on SEWN. The DVD will shortly be available in shops around NZ and Nicolas hopes to get it into Australian shops as well. For updates, follow the Facebook page (Sewn Longboarding) and to check out the website at www.sewn.co.nz.
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Did you know: Nowhere in New Zealand is more than 12okm from the coast
d, Seafoo nd beers a seals
g brand After a week of surfin amazing in ing tak , aks bre new lievably be un ng scenery, meeti excellent g tin tas le, op pe ly friend beers at gre ng food and drinki made we , nd Isla rth No on the a week for uth our way to the So , aks bre w ne nd bra g of surfin ry, ne sce taking in amazing friendly meeting unbelievably ent food ell exc g tin tas le, op pe ers. Did we and drinking great be w Zealand? Ne e lov we on nti me
Experiencing local beers and home-brewed talent... Page 84
Nelson
Wellington Kaikoura Christchurch
Dunedin
Shaken, but not stirred, the spirit of Christchurch is strong one year on. Page 91
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Nelson
TRAVEL SURF TRIP
X
Entering the South by ferry through the majestic Marlborough Sounds is an amazing experience.
Ferry to Picton
Wellington (through the winelands)
MAIN: According to Maori mythology, the Marlborough Sounds are the prows of the sunken waka/canoe of Aoraki.BELOW: Drinking, eating, meeting, greeting and surfing the South Island - a lot to pack in. BOTTOM LEFT: Excitable cyclists helped 30km turn into an hour of driving, God love ‘em.
Kaikoura
re legging When you’ erfest, be a to it in the ht ug ca g gettin behind a ne la slow andex is sea of sp n... fu no
Having watched the SEWN DVD in the motorhome we were more eager than ever to surf Lyall Bay in Wellington. The break just looked super mellow and rather unique being right beside the airport runway. Unfortunately when we woke that morning it was teeming rain and there was a howling southerly that meant it would be blown to smithereens. With this in mind we regrettably opted to catch the early ferry across to the South Island and promised we would return to experience Wellington another time. As we left the North Island, looking back at the city through the morning fog and rain it still appeared stunning.
The ferry across is something to behold. The 92km voyage takes around three hours and you get a full appreciation as to why it has been described as one of the most beautiful ferry rides in the world. On arrival in Picton, we set off along the winding, winding road to the beautiful city of Nelson. Our journey was not made any easier by a sea of lycra wearing legends. Despite the views of cheeks on disappearing seats directly in front of us, the ones to the side were absolutely stunning – the Marlborough Sounds, alpine scenery, rolling rapids through the trees... picturesque is an understatement. may/jun 2012
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As we made our way to the Founders Heritage Park in the picturesque city of Nelson for Marchfest, we knew it was going to a big day, and night... “New Zealand’s beer flavoured festival - a celebration of music, food, fun and of course.. proper beer,” as it suggests, is centred around the amazing boutique brewing culture in New Zealand. Thanks to some more friendly Kiwis - Emma McCashin of McCashin’s Brewery and Mic Dover, organiser of the festival - we were welcomed with open arms to experience it all in person. Every year, a select number of breweries get together to showcase new brews, specially created for the festival. Ambling around the festival with souvenir glass in hand, we cheerfully soaked up the carnival atmosphere, took in some talks on brewing, ate far too many Maori doughnuts and tried our level best to work our way through the entire menu of beers and ciders on offer. After all, we’re travelling international beer conoisseurs... With names like “Envy of the Empire Ale,” “Greasing Mongrels Lager” and “Muscle Stout” the list was most certainly an imposing one. “Asylum Ale” at 6.1% was just a flat out scary prospect, but we’re adventurers, dammit... As the evening wore on, every expectation was met and exceeded, and soon we were having conversations about the quality of hops, the smoothness of the drop and other details we had no clue about honestly, but were enjoying some fine beers, nonetheless. We were pumped for the night. The fantastically named Ukes of Hazard kicked off the musical festivities in the hall while the main stage was being set up outdoors. The
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little bit of drizzle had not dampened anyone’s spirits at all, so as the sun went down, the stage lights came on and the dancing began. Hang on, is that Murray from Flight of the Conchords on stage with the B52s? Hell no, it’s the Drab Doo-Riffs - possible one of the coolest, most fun bands we’ve had the pleasure of seeing in a long time. Dripping with surf guitar and a dual vocal sound that is just out of this world, the Auckland five-piece had the crowd laughing, dancing and having the best time for a good 40 minutes or so. We spoke to frontman Karl Steven - who we realised later was a former member of NZ funkers Supergroove - about it all. “We play sort of surf-punky-rock’n-rolly stuff,” he says. “It’s upbeat, fun music.” “Mikey, our drummer surfs... I can barely swim,” Karl admits with a laugh. “But, I do love that tradition of music - instrumental guitar breaks and the whole surf culture.” Having been together for around four years, the Drab Doo-Riffs have already visited Australian shores, mostly around the Melbourne area and “one fateful night in Geelong,” as Karl explains: “We were a bit new and different... There was one guy that really loved it...” (laughs) And that one guy was spot on - the Doo-Riffs are anything but drab and were a highlight of the night. Check them out at Facebook.
TOP: “Yes, my good man - that hops was obviously fully matured...” “Quite, old chap.” ABOVE: Founders Heritage Park is a quirky location for this off-beat festival BOTTOM LEFT: The Drab Doo Riffs on and off stage at Marchfest BELOW: Vocalist Karl Steven takes a welldeserved breather after a great set. You’ve got to know to understand.
More bands, more beers and the headlining set by Alabama 3 later, Marchfest was wrapped up. We should have gone to bed. We didn’t. Fast forward to the next morning....
Fine beers, music, food and more made Marchfest in Nelson a worthy deviation in our search for surf.
10/05/12 8:45 PM
TRAVEL SURF TRIP We might have got to taste the delights of the region whilst attending Marchfest, but the next day’s seedy heads prevented any form of overly lively activity, aside from the careful art of breathing. So to find out what we missed surfwise, we chatted with Mark Nichol’s, the President of the local Nelson Boardriders Surf Club.
NELSON LOCALS:
MARK NICHOLS NELSON BOARDRIDERS “Nelson, has possibly some of the closest proximity high quality waves in New Zealand boasting seven different breaks all within 7km of each other. Unfortunately though, it can be a long wait between swells with flat spells often lingering into the 3-5 week range. When the swell is on however, you wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!!”
NELSON LOCALS:
FROSTY A TRUE SMORGASBOARDER Michael “Frosty” Frost is the NZ and Australian agent for Freebord - the radical snowboard/skateboard thrill machine with six wheels and bindings. (See our story on the freebord in our 2012 Jan/ Feb edition at www.smorgasboarder.com.au to find out what it is all about.)
People have indeed been surfing Nelson since the mid to late 60’s. The local boardriders club has formed, dissolved and reformed several times over through the years. In 2005 it was once again reborn under the direction of current President, Mark Nichols, along with Daryl Way and a website that shared local photos, stories and humorous banter to keep everyone amused during flat spells. For a bit of a laugh, visit nelsonboardriders.blogspot. com
We met up with this pillar of healthy living the morning after the beer festival. We pretended to feel better than we did as Frosty filled us in a little about his home. “We are just blessed with an amazing climate and geography that attracts the right type of people. We enjoy more sunshine here than anywhere else in the country.
Now solely run by Mark, the club boasts around forty members. He describes the club’s set up as only Mark can.
“Everything is right on our doorstep. We have quality breaks nearby when it is on, just consistency can be a bit of an issue. We’re only 1 ½ hours drive to the mountains. You can be in a completely different world and climate snowboarding back-country. I have snowboarded around the world and this is my favourite backcountry.
“Disorganised and with no direction whatsoever the club rolls along with the vision that even though we don’t really do anything other than have bbq’s and tell stories, there is a formal body here incase we ever have to rise to an occasion, for example, direct threats to our breaks and coastlines. “The surfing community in Nelson is like none you will ever come across. Friendly, happy and inviting and this probably stems from the fact they don’t get waves everyday, and when there is a swell running the entire crew are happier than pigs in sh*t !”
TOP: Nelson surf we missed - something to look forward to on the next trip ABOVE: Freebord man Frosty and one very cool board.
“Lakes, mountains, rivers… whatever turns you on are all nearby… whitewater rafting, fishing, kiteboarding…” And he does it all. Next trip we’re taking him up on the offer of some secret-spot snowboarding for sure. may/jun 2012
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP HEADING SOUTH:
KAIKOURA For fear of being stuck behind more shaved-leg, pedal-pushing posers we took an alternative route to Kaikoura through the famous wine region of Marlborough, home to some of the world’s best sauv blancs. The scenery transformed from misty alpine ruggedness to sun-drenched open plains and valleys of endless wineries. Once through the town of Blenheim we hit the coastline and our jaws dropped yet again. The everchanging stunning scenery of New Zealand has that effect on you. We found ourselves regularly stopping to take in the view, watch seals frolic on the shoreline or observe deer grazing in a paddock.
TOP: Marlborough - A beautiful region with amazing wines. ABOVE: We’re told seals will sometimes have a go at surfers in the water - talk about localism. This surfer is enjoying a seal-incident-free, fun wave at Kaikoura. BELOW: Kaikoura - unfortunately not going off for us, but breathtaking nonetheless.
So many had people had insisted we made sure to visit Kaikoura and we could see why. It’s postcard perfect. Whilst filling up at the local service station we met Gus the owner of a fish’n’chip shop and convenience store nearby. We got to chatting and ended up following him back to his store. You could immediately tell this place was the goods by the number of locals that frequented it. It was there we met the lovely Junko and Gus’ wife Donna - an amazing cook who served up the freshest fish, oysters and paua, a 86
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LEFT: We left with warm memories of true hospitality. Gus is more than just a guy who runs a takeaway - he’s a wealth of knowledge, stories and the kind of bloke this world needs more of. ACROSS: Fresh, local seafood, homemade doughnuts and pastries (baked on the premises by Donna) and great coffee... Kaikoura locals are lucky to have The Top Shop around.
local delicacy not dissimilar to abalone. The meal was so good we returned the next morning for breaky, some delicious homemade jam filled doughnuts and coffee. Did I mention we were on a health kick? Before we got on our way Gus sorted us out with some freshly caught crayfish, no more than four of them to be precise, and insisted they were on the house. New Zealand hospitality continued to amaze us, in fact it never ceased to leave us stunned. Surf wise, the breaks in and around Kaikoura, including the infamous Meatworks were as flat as a tack, not even a ripple. When visitors arrive this is apparently what happens but when it is locals only, the place goes off its chops. Its notorious for the razor sharp rocks beneath the water that make a meal of you if you come a cropper near the shore. Beneath the water there are also other things to take your breath away and hopefully no skin. Deep underwater canyons bring cold, nutrient rich water close to shore ensuring the water is teeming with aquatic wildlife – seals, dolphins, orcas, whales and yes, great white sharks. It is such a shame we did not get amongst the waves. To be looking out of a frosty, green barrel towards snow capped mountains that meet the sea would have been something else. Yet another reason to return soon.
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We started making our way to Christchurch, but not before we pulled over mid-afternoon at Gore Bay. The beach was completely deserted - just us, dark sand and gigantic pieces of driftwood. We parked the motorhome, unpacked the outdoor dining table and chairs on the sand, reached for a couple of ice cold beers and our feast of crayfish. In the most beautiful of surrounds, we got to eat, drink, relax and reflect on just how lucky we were to be able to be doing this... All in all, a dining experience that will forever be etched in our memories. Fed and content, the day just faded away after that as we drifted through majestic rural scenes until the sun disappeared. We arrived in Christchurch late that night, oblivious to what the daylight would reveal. 88
“A deserted beach and a feast of fresh crayfish. Does it get any better?�
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PHOTOS: BEN VOS
TOP: Amazing scenery looking out North across Gore Bay LEFT: Memories like that deserve a photo. ABOVE: Driving down to Christchurch takes you past postcard-perfect rural scenes - with sheep as far as the eye can see, of course.
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED:
CHRISTCHURCH We awoke early and headed towards Christchurch’s City Mall, the central business and retail precinct that was devastated in the September 2010 quake and then dealt a killer blow by the February 2011 event. Words can’t describe the scale of the devastation. The clean up effort one year on is still massive. It’s heartbreaking to see the aftermath of such a tragedy and the destruction of so many beautiful buildings and monuments for which Christchurch had been renowned. Parts of a once-bustling city still appear eerie and desolate. The people of Christchurch however are iron-willed and with such determination present, the city has already begun to be rebuilt. Emerging from the rubble is a newer, vibrant and funky city centre that features sturdy, low-level shipping containers used in creative ways. The Restart Container City that’s sprouted next to the former City Mall features some 30 high-end boutiques, shops and cafes. We grab a coffee and danish from one of the coffee shops on our way out and the mood of the young lady who serves us is nothing but upbeat and friendly.
TOP: Direct impact on the Christchurch surf community the Sadhana Surfboards factory, soon to be demolished. RIGHT: Sumner styling may/jun 2012
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“Emerging from the rubble is a newer, vibrant and funky city centre that features sturdy, lowlevel shipping containers used in creative ways.” As we leave the city centre, we pass through what is deemed the Red Zone - an area that snakes along the Avon River from the CBD to the coast. Around 6600 homes have been marked for demolition or already have been. A further 600+ homes in the Orange Zone border this and their fate is still yet to be determined. Our drive takes us past vacant lots where buildings have been reduced to nothing. Bracing holds others up, houses are tagged with the obligatory spraypaint inspection markings and the road is buckled. It is hard to fathom the magnitude of what took place. We eventually make our way to the historic port town of Lyttleton, which was near the February 2011 quake’s epicentre. We had intended to pass through on our way to the beachside suburb of Sumner for a surf, but many detours later we found ourselves winding through incredibly narrow streets, high above the port in our 6m long motorhome. Heartstopping is not the word to describe it as Mark jumped out to navigate me within inches of a parked car on my left and even closer to the remains of a house that had slipped down the cliff on my right. A little further down the track we came across a roadblock, which sent us back the exact same way with an even heightened amount of adrenalin. Eventually we made it to Sumner and were rewarded with some of the most fun, mellow waves we experienced all trip. Amidst all the work going on in and around the area it almost felt like a guilty pleasure, but a pleasure it was.
ACROSS: Scenes like this demolished lot play out all across the city and leave you with a lump in your throat. TOP: The new city centre is a cheerful tribute to fighting spirit. ABOVE: In amongst the chaos, the people of the city have still taken time to beautify what they can and show support for each other in so many ways.
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facebook.com/buellwetsuitsaustralia
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PHOTOS: BEN VOS
CHRISTCHURCH LOCALS:
JAY JACKMAN SADHANA SURFBOARDS “A spiritual exertion towards an intended goal” It’s a pretty unique name for a line of surfboards so I was intrigued to find out what Sadhana actually meant. My research revealed several explanations: 1. T he purpose for which we have come to this place 2. The object of Sadhana is to release life from the limitations from which it is bound 3. This is accomplishing something by means of an ego-transcending spiritual practice It is a pretty descript way of explaining the focus and approach of Jay Jackman’s cottage surfboard label and underlines what he is all about. He’d never say it himself but I can tell you after riding four of his boards he was:
The boards are suited to the local conditions and the local conditions are probably not that dissimilar to the Sunshine Coast. Maybe they just suited our respective surfing styles but they completely blew our minds. Interestingly, Jay was not born on these shores. He is from the northern beaches of Sydney. We asked the reason for his move across the ditch? “I married a Kiwi girl and we had a kid and basically we weren’t happy with where we were living. We have been in Christchurch now three and a bit years. I love it. It’s like Australia twenty years ago. It’s quiet, peaceful and beautiful.
2. His surfboards take on a life of their own
On the business side of things, Jay moved from shaping out of his backyard in Narrabeen to his present factory in Woolston, Christchurch. The evolution of Sadhana is well captured in the introductory excerpt on Jay’s website.
3. Jay is far removed from the ego-centric hype that at times plagues the surf industry. He is a laid-back, easy-to-talk-to, humble bloke that just wants to create functional boards that people can have fun on
The idea of Sadhana Surfboards was born in 1997 on a lifeguard chair, as a reaction to the massmarketed, mediocre, one-size-fits-all approach to surfing at the time. Drawing on the daily influence
1. Obviously born to be a shaper
that the ocean holds and utilising various garages, shaping rooms and sheds around the world, a small cottage label was formed. While those backyard days are now part of our history, it is this handmade craft philosophy that drives us still. We asked Jay if he ever thought of moving home after the series of major quakes that rocked the Canterbury region. “We moved here because we like the mountains and the sea. Surfing and snowboarding. It seemed logical. We got married here. We love it. “We don’t have any family ties here and we don’t own a house but it was like, ‘What else am I going to do? Why not stay?’ We are part of this community and it’s nice being in a small place where you know everyone. Go back to Narrabeen and do what? There’s like fourteen surfboard machines in Manly going north.” may/jun 2012
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Jay was at the factory when the magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck. “I was in the shaping room when it happened. Our business was only a matter of a few kilometres from the quake epicenter. It was full on. 9’6”s were falling on my head. Boards were throwing themselves off the racks. I didn’t know what to do. After 20 seconds I thought, ‘I better get out of here.’ I ran out the front door of the factory in a cloud of dust with things falling everywhere. It was like an Indiana Jones movie.
TOP: Sadhana Surfboards are perfect for the surf at Christchurch. Local shapers know best. MIDDLE: Sombre reminders of the quake, like this collapsed cliffside, are everywhere. ABOVE:: Jay’s work on a timber board made from recycled materials reclaimed after the quake.
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“Once outside there were no phones. The mobile networks were down because they were overlogged. My wife was at work and I didn’t know how to get in contact with her. I didn’t know if she ok? She had the car and so I just started to walk home in my sanding gear. There was just this procession of people walking home.”
That community spirit could be seen through the actions of so many. Jay himself raised funds for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal by auctioning a unique fish he crafted out of timbers reclaimed from a demolished factory that once stood right behind his own. As for the future, Jay is ever positive. “It has been tough but you just keep going. People are coming in now and buying boards again because they realise they need to relax. And thankfully they can see we are doing something different that caters for the individual. That is what we do... our own thing.”
“As a collective there has been incredible personal loss and emotional strain. In the face of all of this though, there is this determination and courage to stay positive and carry on.”
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STAY STUCK... ick formulated to st Stick It wax was r he ot y an an tter th to your board be t. ke ar m al ob gl wax on the
Working out of the same factory as Jay is Shane. His focus is unique custom made lightweight SUPs. “I’m catering for guys who want to go top-to-bottom,not just interested in sort of trimming around on a wave. “The techniques we are using are what I learnt from working with Gary McNab over in California. He’s a high-end paddleboard and surfboard shaper and I sort of drained him of all his information. Through the years I was also fortunate enough to have worked with Al Byrne as well. “The proof has really been in the pudding with regards to how the boards are performing. We are now starting to even make custom order paddleboards with full resin tints. No one else is doing that stuff.”
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Jake Thompson
SHANE GOODWIN
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CHRISTCHURCH LOCALS:
SABRINA WEBER AUMOANA SURF SHOP
Without doubt, one of the fun days surfing of our whole trip. Great waves and great boards.
Sometimes you get a true sense about a place from the people who move to the region rather than those who were born there. After four major quakes and countless aftershocks you can understand why many have chosen to move away from Christchurch. Family ties and lifelong friendships are hard to leave behind but self-preservation and care for your immediate family is a strong motivation. But what happens when you are not born in the region, have no strings tying you there and yet still choose to stay. It says a lot about Christchurch and the community that call it home. Sabrina Weber is Swiss and opened the doors to her unique little surf shop, Aumoana, in April 2010 in Sumner, a beautiful beachside suburb of Christchurch. Many retailers in the surf industry have done it tough over the last two years but none tougher than Sabrina. The February 2011 earthquake alone saw Sumner experience several major rockslides and damage. Pollutants kept surfers out of the water for seveneight months, and Sabrina’s shop is less than 100m from the beach. Despite all of this, we walk through her door and are greeted by the most friendly, welcoming young lady you would meet. “My partner and I are both Swiss and love surfing and snowboarding. We moved to the south island of New Zealand because we can do both within a few hours each way. I can even skateboard to and from work. “Christchurch is the only place I want to live. We have a great community. Everyone has been really supportive of us through this time. They always have been but realise that even more otherwise they will have to get their surfboards from China.” (laughs) Aumoana stocks some of New Zealand’s best handshaped boards, including Sadhana. “We are always on the lookout for the best brands for the best people and always something a little different!” Yes, Sabrina and her shop are all class.
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Late in the afternoon after our surf in Sumner we left Christchurch for the small port city of Timaru where we stayed the night, which coincidentally meant ‘Place of Shelter’ in Maori. We rose early and got underway on our journey to Dunedin. There was damn cold water to face and surf to be had. When we started scouring our route for a spot to grab some breakfast we hadn’t figured on stumbling on a town so remarkable as Oamaru. Imposing 19th century limestone buildings lined narrow streets around the harbour. These beautifully preserved historic commercial buildings are remnants of a formerly prosperous refrigerated-meat shipping industry. This fascinating precinct is now home to a variety of bookshops, antique galleries, cafes, restaurants and a very enticing specialist whisky bar, The NZ Malt Whiskey Co. Further along there’s Steampunk HQ, a kind of way-out gallery come something-or-the-other that transports visitors to a parallel universe where electricity was never invented and steam powers futuristic technological marvels.
Oamaru’s also renown for its yellow-eyed penguin colony at Bushy Beach. Not stopping long enough to see those, we left, still famished, and set off on the road again. Along the way we stumbled on the tiny fishing village of Moeraki and a restaurant called ‘Fleurs Place’, which we later read was established on an early whaling station site and had been built from gathered collectables and demolition materials from all over New Zealand. We had no idea where we were and hungrily asked about breakfast. The place didn’t do breakfasts we were told apologetically, but the smiling waitress offered to find out if the chef would be able to whip something up for us anyway... The more we thought about this being a little odd, we realised that ‘Fleur’, was one and the same as the Fleur Sullivan who had made her reputation as a top foodie in the Central Otago region, receiving numerous awards in her time. British television chef and restauranteur Rick Stein chose Fleurs Place when he was asked to choose anywhere in the world to write a travel article for English newspaper the Daily Mail. The waitress returned with the offer of bacon and eggs, which was music to our ears and our rumbling stomachs. We grabbed a table where we were served the best breakfast we have ever had in our entire lives.
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PHOTOS: BEN VOS
LEFT ACROSS: A motorhome we didn’t get to test. ABOVE: There’s never never any shortage of creativity and in the most unlikely places - a flaming apocalypitic steam engine decorated with skeletons sits quite comfortably in the Victorian precinct of Oamaru. LEFT: Fleur’s Place in Moeraki - hands down, the best bacon and eggs we will ever have.
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PHOTO: BEN VOS
TRAVEL SURF TRIP PHOTO: MARK CHAPMAN
? Did you know d has New Zealan mpic gold won more Oly apita, medals, per c er country. than any oth
Could it be my Scottish ancestry that had me pining to see Dunedin - like a homecoming of sorts? Incidentally, Dunedin is the Celtic name for Edinburgh. Maybe it’s just my obsession with cold water and the desire to explore the outermost limits of rational surf destinations. From the outset, this was the place I wanted to see most in the whole of New Zealand. A unique, majestic city steeped in history, vibrant, eclectic, a party town, and a region that is home to such a rich array of wildlife, flora and fauna including New Zealand sea lions. This place has it all. Then of course, there is the surf. There is an extensive number of breaks- beachies, reefs, points
and islands. You could surf the region for weeks and not scratch the surface. There are the famous breaks of St Clair and Murdering Bay, a name you won’t forget quickly for more reasons than one, and if that weren’t enough the south coast is also the home of big wave surfing in New Zealand. The swell down here packs a punch and the water temp takes your breath away. Waves can vary from death-defyingly scary to mouth-watering perfection. Dunedin and its surrounds are a true testing ground that both excited and absolutely scared the crap out of me. This is what we came for. It was time to get wet.
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PHOTO: BEN VOS
Did you know? Dunedin is home to New Zealand’s first newspaper, the country’s oldest university, and the first botanic gardens.
TOP: The promenade at St Clair. ABOVE: The town centre is a vibey hive of activity, dotted with quirky businesses and eateries. RIGHT: Cold? What cold? 12 degrees is toasty warm for tough Dunedinites. BELOW: Some homeless guy with cool local boards.
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PHOTO: MARK CHAPMAN
We pretty much headed straight for Graeme Carse at Quarry Beach Surfboards. We had been worded up he was the man to see and would sort us out with some boards. We chatted with ‘Carsey’ and his lovely partner Gaby (more on them overleaf) for a little while, but they could see we were champing at the bit for a surf and sorted us out with a variety of boards to tackle the late afternoon choppy conditions - a snub-nosed mini-mal with a significant nose rocker that went like a rocket, Gaby’s own thruster and a brand spanking new fish. We headed straight to the nearest beach, being St Clair, which was listed in Sean Doherty’s The Pilgrimage, 50 Places to Surf Before You Die. There’s a series of point breaks and numerous beachies along the 5km stretch of white sandy beach. We paddled to an outer bank that was working to the left of the point. We surfed some fun waves for the next couple of hours until the day started getting on a bit. Did I mention my paranoia and that the place has lots of seals and so forth? And then there’s that bloody big bull kelp that reaches up and grabs you by the legs. You frequently feel like a goner. It was beer o’clock time. The next day, the conditions and the swell could not have been more perfect. It made leaving all the more harder. So was the water cold? Apparently it was 12 degrees but with the quality of the suits we tested protecting us from the elements and the fact we had been in NZ for two weeks, so we had possibly acclimatised to the cooler conditions, I can’t say it was a factor. Plus, we had it easy. There were no howling arctic winds, no sleet, and no snow on the beach. The air temperature was mild to say the least. In fact it was warm. For the two days we were there you could have worn a singlet and shorts down the street, providing you weren’t in the shade. Hardly hellman territory. Later that night however was something else, the temperature plummeted the wind picked up and we were reminded of how close we were to the South Pole. Yes, we’ll come back for some southern comfort... and freeze our asses off. After all, there’ll always be more wetsuit testing to be done.
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RIGHT: Walk to the front please sir. BELOW: A change of direction to get some good wave left behind. BOTTOM: At least the toilets are closer than London.
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PHOTO: BEN VOS
DUNEDIN LOCALS:
GRAHAM CARSE QUARRY BEACH SURFBOARDS When someone weilding a pair of scissors called Crazy Jane tells you to do something, you pretty damn well best listen. And we’re glad we listened when the friendly Kaikoura hairdresser told us to look up ‘Carsey’ in Dunedin, as the man to talk to when it comes to surfboards in the area. Aside from Crazy Jane, several shapers on our travels suggested we make sure to catch up with Graham Carse of Quarry Beach Surfboards and we weren’t disappointed. He’s just plain genuine. No bullshit. ‘Carsey’ is one of those people you meet and immediately strike up a friendship with. There is no effort in holding a conversation with him. After we met him at his factory and stole a couple of his boards for a test run we caught up with him and his lovely partner Gaby, for a quiet beer or two to chat about their hometown and surfboards. “Dunedin is a beautiful city. Down near the varsity, around the cricket ground, our beaches of course. It is just a very laid back place to live. Life’s a little slower and it’s nice and easy to get around the place. “As far as surfing goes, it is pretty good. Consistency is the key. We get our share of smaller days but you could count flat days on one hand. There are a variety of quality waves to be had. “Dunedin is based on a big peninsula - on the southside we get all the south swell, on the northside we get all the northeast swell. If it is not working one side, it is working on the other and sometimes even both.” “In summer you have daylight till around 10pm. You can actually have a couple of surfs after work so that is great. The winter does get cold and the water can get down to around 7-8 degrees but it is actually the air temperature and windchill that make it particularly cold. In winter we will get a dusting of snow on the beach a couple of times. “This is the coldest stretch of water in New Zealand. The water is about 2-3 degrees colder than even Invercargill at the southernmost tip of the South Island.” When discussion turns to himself though, even with the assistance of some amber truth juice, Carse is very understated in his reply. He’s not up himself – and that’s further reason to like him. “I’ve been shaping boards seriously now under the Quarry Beach label for around 24 years. I would like to think I do an okay job and have a fair understanding of what works for the local conditions.” The locals no doubt have full confidence in what Carse does because we reckon about 70% of the boards we saw out in the water bared his QB logo.
TOP: Graham models a recent stumpy quad-fin creation in his St Clair showroom. LEFT: Graham kindly introduced us to another cheerful local - one of the dangerously easy Emerson’s beers on offer.
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PHOTO: MARK CHAPMAN
“The good thing now is there is a lot more fun being put into surfing. 20 years ago if you couldn’t ride a 6’2” x 18” thruster, you were considered a bit of a dud. Thesedays, anything is acceptable. People are riding all manner of obscure things. “Shaping-wise, I like to mix it up as well - give a particular idea a run, ride it, finetune it. I find I’m shaping a couple of mals one week, a couple of shortboards the next, fishes... Even a few mini Simmons of late and single fins too.” A final word on the local beer? “A guy in Dunedin makes all the best beers. He wins all the awards. He comes out with some interesting brews with equally interesting names. You just never know what percentage they are. If you have three, you have possibly had two too many. Emerson’s. Don’t forget it.”
“We get our share of smaller days but you could count flat days on one hand”
Quarry Beach fish
board How can we not love a it brand bs gra per when the sha asboarder org sm a ps sla and new sticker on it? n a while since I had I must admit it had bee this was a great little been on a thruster, but h drive and the abilwit fish board. A compact ity to run tight arc turns.
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TRAVEL SURF TRIP
We have to come back. We have unfinished business. There’s a million breaks north and south we didn’t surf, major surf destinations we didn’t even visit such as the Coromandel Peninsula, Mount Maunganui and Gisborne, and some of the breaks we visited, we didn’t score at their best. And we haven’t even discussed snowboarding... As the active panel of three that did the trip through both islands, we thought we’d wrap up with our personal snapshots of the trip
BEST SURF? DAVE: The standout was Piha. Good size and nice, clean waves. You felt like you were surfing in a huge amphitheatre. BEN: Dunedin. Absolute perfection. MARK: Scarborough Beach, Christchurch. Super clean little lines.
QUALITY/ CONSISTENCY OF NZ BREAKS DAVE: A massive variety of breaks and conditions. I had read it can be fickle but in my opinion that could not be further from the truth. No less fickle than many parts of Australia. Don’t know why more surfers don’t visit. BEN: There always seemed to be swell. I liked the fact the east and west coast were a relatively short distance apart, which meant if you were looking for the ideal conditions you didn’t have to travel too far. MARK: There was something for everyone. All skill levels. Hell, even for me.
NORTH OR SOUTH ISLAND? DAVE: Couldn’t split them. Both were magic and absolutely stunning. The North Island was lush and green like a set out of Jurassic Park. The south island had that grandeur with its snow capped peaks, deep blue sea and European style villages. BEN: I found the south more scenic as there was such a dramatic variation in scenery from mountains to beaches. I was surprised how different the south island was to the north considering their close proximity to each other. MARK: The North Island’s landscape was far more removed from what I am used to seeing - an awesome change of scenery.
FAVOURITE CITY/ TOWN? DAVE: Dunedin. Love the Scottish heritage. BEN: Dunedin. It just looks like a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun. MARK: Piha. It’s a dramatic place, unlike anything you’re likely to see. The sheer presence of the landscape is insane.
HOW WOULD I RATE NZ AS A DESTINATION FOR A SURF TRIP? DAVE: An absolute must. BEN: It probably wasn’t a surf destination I had truly considered but is now a place I would love to go back to, RIGHT NOW. MARK: Fantastic. 100% unbelievable, but, you have to not mind suiting up in rubber.
WE ALL AGREE... The one thing we all agreed upon was that if you had to base your decision on the overall experience, the ease of getting around and how affordable it is to visit, you would be hard pressed not to include New Zealand as one of the top five destinations in the world.
Useful guides
We also must give special thanks to the many people who made this such an enjoyable trip.
NEW ZEALAND TOURISM For laying out the welcome mat. We can’t wait to come back.
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BRITZ
SHAPERS
A special thanks to Kate Meldrum for all her assistance. Our motorhome made for the ultimate surf trip. It is without doubt the best way to explore the coast. A home and ready made meals on wheels, easy to get around and a great way to travel with all your boards and gear.
You enabled us to realise our aim of surfing nothing but Kiwi boards. Without them we would have been left high and dry. A big thanks to Roger Hall, Mike Jolly, Mickey T, Jay Jackman and Graham Carse.
WETSUIT AND GEAR SUPPLIERS A big thanks as well to the many businesses involved in our extensive gear testing conducted in NZ. We experienced firsthand the best of the best in the latest wetsuits and surf gear. Special thanks to Paul Zarifeh from Seventhwave for well and truly going out of his way to welcome us to his great country.
KIWIS
NZ SURF
For restoring our faith in humanity. In an all too often cynical society they convinced us there are still plenty of good people out there.
Looking for smorgasboarder over in NZ? Drop by the shops, shaping bay and businesses featured here.
A very special thank you to Gus and Donna from The Top Shop in Kaikoura for the most outstanding display of hospitality from complete strangers we have ever experienced.
BUSINESSES
By supporting them you’re supporting us and we can ensure you keep getting your copy of the mag for grassroots surfers. For more details go to www. smorgasboarder. com.au
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THERE’S SO MUCH MORE ALL PHOTOS SUPPLIED COURTESY OF CHRISTCHURCH PADDLEBOARDING, JEFF MORRIS, CARDRONA, TREBLE CONE & NZ SHRED
SKATE, SUP, SNOWBOARDING AND SO MUCH MORE IN NZ
ABOVE: Canterbury’s waterways are alive with opportunities for enjoyment TOP RIGHT: Pristine runs at Cardrona Alpine Resort near Queenstown RIGHT: Amazing views of the Southern Lakes while in the snow at Treble Cone. FAR RIGHT: Queenstown has more to offer than snow - get around on a SUP
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So, what’s next? Our smorgasboarder road trip covered a lot of ground, but the reality is, we only scraped the surface. As is often the case, there is always more to see and do, and this is particularly true when it comes to a country as amazing as New Zealand. To get an insight into what we missed out on and to provide some added inspiration for a speedy return (as if we need it) we spoke to a couple of locals about life and living it to the full in their respective necks of the woods.
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THERE’S SO MUCH MORE
Kaiteriteri WORDS: JEFF MORRIS
Our smorgasboarder New Zealand correspondant, Jiff (Jeff) Morris gives us insight into why he moved across the dutch (ditch) to an area that has become popular amongst the SUPing fraternity.
Why? That was the most asked question whenever I told someone that I was moving to N.Z. but only from people that hadn’t been here. My mother didn’t get it at all, for her it was like burning the Aussie flag. She just had to settle for – “because I want to move to a country that still sells fireworks and China is too populated.” Kiwi’s were also a little incredulous – “so let me get this straight, you moved here from the Sunshine Coast and your wife’s not a Kiwi and you’re an Aussie” OK, cool. With all of that I started questioning, why after growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and a lifetime of surfing of which the last 15 years was spent in a place where the water is warm even in winter and I could just walk across the road and surf with all of my friends and neighbours would I leave. The answer is because the South Island of New Zealand is Disneyland for grown ups. If you love the outdoors, this is it. We moved to 114
Kaiteriteri, gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park and the South Island’s summer holiday destination. The only problem, no waves here and wetsuit required outside of summertime. If I want to surf I have to drive anywhere between 20 minutes and one and a half hours depending on what’s working. Other than that it’s an overnighter or 2 on the West Coast or Kaikoura. No big deal really, surfing then becomes an adventure like it was when we were young, finding the secret spots, crossing farmland and four wheel driving down isolated roads, mind you I’m not as immune to the discomforts of the adventures as I used to be. Local knowledge is everything and fortunately there is a boardriders club in Nelson. Their motto is – Nelson Boardriders – Making Shit Surfers Look Reasonable Since 2005. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
So what’s to do in between the long wait between swells? The obvious answer before I moved here was SUP, the bays and islands around here are spectacular, crystal clear water, and pristine uncrowded beaches. The thought of moving to the dark side wasn’t a particularly exciting one, but I bit the bullet and bought a SUP. Decided to have a lesson as part of the deal, just in case something was trickier than it looked. That would be catching waves. My first couple of paddles around the bay here, confirmed a lack of adrenalin, but then it really started to grow on me, especially when the odd seal swims alongside for a while, checking me out with those aquatic cocker spaniel eyes. Now I really look forward to getting out there whenever I can. Pretty keen to get into a break or two. There’s a few guys around here getting into and it probably won’t be long before we form ourselves into some sort of collective excuse for a beer.
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“the South ew Island of N Zealand is for Disneyland grown ups.”
re’s the helmet?
Tut, tut Jiff... Whe
When the sun’s shining and the birds are singing there’s enough serenity out there for 20 Darryl Kerrigans. And then there’s the kilometre after kilometre of winding roads and hills through the pine forest with barely a car to be seen, perfect for a bit of skating. Back in OZ we had the Castaways Beach Saturday Arvo Skate Crew, usually being followed around by an ambulance and a car full of lawyers. The main aim was not to break anything, main reward was a beer or five and hopefully watch the Ambo and lawyers head off into the sunset. Still holding up the great tradition here, the skating is sensational scenery and hills spectacular, main purpose is still not to break anything, because out in the forest no one can hear you scream.
One of the other great things about this area is that I can go snow skiing for a day as we have the Rainbow Ski Field just 2 hours drive from here. Pretty well uncrowded especially mid week, not a big resort by any means, but you can really wear yourself out in a day as the t-bar is uncrowded and is situated well enough to cover a lot of terrain. There are around 20 ski fields, club fields and resorts on the South Island and we will be covering those in more depth in future editions, no doubt.
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Paddleboarding around Christchurch WORDS JAMES BRADSHAW
Christchurch was devastated in last year’s major quake but the beauty of the region and its waterways is still evident. You could say the paddleboard scene here in Christchurch is on shaky ground! After four major earthquakes and eight months of polluted water, you think everyone and anyone would be deterred from getting out on the water, but you couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, it’s made more people take to the water. There are so many great spots to SUP here in Canterbury. We have a very strong and varied scene. Last Saturday for example there were twenty plus paddleboarders out at Sumner Bar at 6.30am. Those who were out were rewarded with some great head high, long walls. There was an awesome vibe and everyone was having so much fun. On any given day you will always see someone on a SUP out at Sumner, Taylor’s Beach or up the coast at Waikuku or Pegasus Beach. Not forgetting we also have some amazing world class breaks up at Kaikoura or on the Banks Peninsula. Where else in the world can you stand out in the break looking up at 2000+m snow-capped mountains that reach right down to the sea. Then there’s also the mountain lakes which provide a stunning backdrop whilst paddling and can be awesome for a downwinder in the prevailing NorthWest winds. Christchurch is most certainly one of the most scenic spots to get out on your SUP. For those interested in a little more activity, Christchurch Paddleboarding run a number of events for all levels throughout the year. There are monthly Sup n Fun events at Pegasus Lake run in conjunction with Groundswell, which are basically family fun days with a series of races and technique clinics. In summer there are also weekly flat water Surf & Turf races. On Thursday evenings there’s surf race training groups and every Saturday a large group head out for technique paddling sessions on Lyttelton Harbour. For more information visit www.christchurchpaddleboarding.co.nz 116
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THERE’S SO MUCH MORE Look familiar? That’s Dan Carter, all in black
In the snow... Treble Cone
ABOVE: Sticks help you get around the water in Christchurch TOP RIGHT: Sticks help you get around the snowfields at Treble Cone
Treble Cone’s claim to fame is that it is the highest and largest of the Southern Lakes ski areas. It also widely touted as the best snow resort in NZ because of the spectacular views and challenging terrain. It’s really for the rippers. The steep slopes predicate its primarily for the intermediate to advanced powderhounds. Only 10% of the resort is suitable for beginners but things are changing somewhat. The 2012 season will see the opening of its first fun park, re-routing of the top section of the Easy Rider and upgrades to the café, electronic ticketing system and trail maps. The Treble Cone Jazz Fun Park will be located at the bottom of the Bullet in the Saddle and will host entry level features aimed at children four to 13 years. Due to the versatility of the features it will enable them to be used in other areas of the mountain for competitions and coaching purposes as well.
Jackie van der Voort, Treble Cone’s ski area manager, gave us a rundown on the latest developments. “Over the summer extensive earthworks have taken place at the top of Easy Rider, removing one switchback to re-route a small section of the upper part, to make the run wider and less steep. This will help learners’ progression from the beginners’ slopes to the six seater and also define the entrance to the Saddle track. “We just want to provide the best facilities and services for our customers and to ensure snow enthusiasts of all abilities get the most out of their day on the mountain whether they are riding the powder in the chutes, learning new tricks in the Jazz Fun Park or taking in the spectacular view from the café.” Treble Cone opens 28 June with a scheduled closing day of 30 September. For further information, visit www.treblecone.com. may/jun 2012
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yet to do So much ience... and exper t wait to ge ’t n a c e W back!
The hive of activity that is Cardrona Alpine Resort
Nadia Ellis of Cardrona tells us the resort has opened up a number of additional trails for intermediate and advanced riders along with a new quad taking their lift-serviced vertical to a total of 600m. They have also redeveloped their learner slopes and a platter tow now services their renown Olympic size halfpipe.
Conquer the cold at Cardrona From what we have heard around the traps Cardona Alpine Resort may not be the biggest resort but it presents what is widely regarded as the best value and well suited to families. Regular comments from converts relate to its value for money, variety of terrain to play on, wide open spaces, fantastic views and friendly staff. Cardrona has also developed a reputation as being the most reliable in terms of snowfall and a bit of a snowboarders paradise.
What it basically means is that snowboarders no longer have to ‘hike the pipe’. That means more runs and more fun. World Champion Halfpipe skier Jossi Wells and his family officially opened the new dedicated ski lift. Nadia explained the Wells Pipe Platter was named after the family in recognition of their long history with Cardrona. “Bruce and Stacy Wells (Jossi’s parents) met while they were working here and consequently had four extremely talented sons who learnt to ski at Cardrona. All of the Wells’ boys have potential to compete at the next Sochi Winter Olympics.” The new facilities serve to further cement Cardrona’s credentials as a world-class training facility. The 2012 season will also see Cardrona introduce a new ticketing system that utilises smart card technology allowing boarders direct access to the lifts, saving precious time. www.cardrona.com
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So much to Queenstown Migrating from the ‘West Island’ when he was just 17 Jase Johns was always keen to settle in ‘The Adventure Capital of the World’. Today Jase, and his business partner, Jon, own and run Queenstown’s iconic NZSHRED - Snow, Surf & Street store, in the main Shotover Street of town. The boys are really focused on providing their customers with a wholistic experience of what the area has to offer through the relationships they have developed with other like-minded local businesses. To them, they are primarily a snow store but they also want to embrace what else there is to do beyond just the snowfields. “We want our customers to enjoy themselves and see and do as much as we can offer from the acrobatics undertaken on features at SnowPark to the all round diversity of terrain and experience at Cardrona Alpine Resort, the steep and deep of the Saddle Basin at Treble Cone, to the less commercial, country hospitality delivered by Mike, Louise and crew at Ohau Lodge & Ski Area.” Being the only retailer in Queenstown to sell surfboards, they also want their customers to get wet. “We’ve developed close ties with Nick Smart’s surf school at Curio Bay in The Catlins, a nearby rugged and remote area of coastline, assisting our customers with surf lessons and accommodation. It’s an experience for sure.” The Southern Lakes region has also proven popular with SUP-ers. “The abundance of massive freshwater lakes throughout the South Island has opened this activity up to standup paddleboarders. In addition to this, technological developments in boards have opened up opportunities to spend time in rivers and stretch further to the high altitude Alpine Lakes.” Snowboarding, surfing, SUPing and even mountain biking... Whatever you fancy, Queenstown has it all and if you are in the need for some gear you should go to the guys who cater for all the disciplines. We sure as hell can’t wait to get there.
BIGGEST Ski Area easily accessed from Queenstown HIGH elevation means quality snow and huge views EASY drive or bus ride from Queenstown or Wanaka For more information or to buy your lift passes, rental, lessons and more... 35 Shotover St, QueenStown, or 18 Dunmore St, wanaka www.cardrona.coM
www.onepassnz.com
Snow? Never mind, they’ve got inflatable SUPs
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BOARDS • SKATE • TESTS • REVIEWS • FASHION
STICKING IT TO THE SNOW
Brand new ideas
In cool snow news, the folks at Kahuna are bringing paddling to the snow with their new Kahuna Snow Stick. It’s designed to help you get solid speed on completely flat terrain and paddle through poor snow conditions. The crazy-looking head - shown left - is made of of ballistic polycarbonate which is meant to perform to -45°C. Contact the friendly folk at Street SUP Australia for info on 0466 264 232. www.streetsup.com.au Facebook.com/StreetSUP
DEMYSTIFYING SNOWBOARD DESIGN WORDS: JARYD HESLOP OF FUTURE SPORT/ARBOR SNOWBOARDS
A walk through the boards at your local snowboard shop will show you very quickly that rocker is what is happening in snowboarding. There are almost as many types of rocker as there are snowboards, so the key to understanding the differences and the pros and cons of the way your board is bent is to break it down. Simply put, there are four different profiles that most boards will fall into.
ROCKER
CAMBER
Laying flat on the floor the lowest point of the board will be in the middle and will progressively rise through to the contact points. The board becomes very forgiving since the contact points are raised off the snow and will usually be softer because of the way the board is bent. Being more forgiving does make the ride “loose” because the effective edge of the board is shortened.
For those who still like to lay trenches in the snow and carve. Camber will give you a lot of response out of the core but doesn’t offer the same level of forgiveness/looseness as a Rocker board. Camber is still offered in the line of all good snowboard companies.
FLAT
DUAL CAMBER This is the combination of rocker and camber in
The board is completely flat most of the way through and is usually paired with a small amount of rocker to raise the contact points a little. This gives back some of the response in the flex of the core that you loose in a full Rocker board and also lengthens the effective edge. The board isn’t as forgiving as a full rocker and rides more like a standard camber board.
a board. The rocker gives you the forgiveness and looseness but the camber gives you response and pop out of the core. Most boards do this by having rocker between your feet and camber outside.
PROFILING
Something to keep in mind with all rocker boards is edge profiling. This is where things can get real technical. When you are shortening a boards’s effective edge, having the edges poke out gives back (and can even enhance) the edge grip that can be lost in a rocker board.
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BOARDS WITH WHEELS
M.I.Y.
MAIN: Todd showing his stuff at Glenbrook Skate Park.
(MAKE IT YOURSELF!)
31-year old Todd Berecz recently dropped us a line and gave us a look back to his childhood. He’s fortunate enough to still have a board made by his dad when he was only 15, and he was kind enough to share the story with us. Inspired by a Ren Noll cruiser longboard, Todd’s dad got the widest piece of maple he could from the hardware store. “He shaped it using a electric planer, measured out the truck space, drilled some holes and sanded it back smooth so we could glass it up. My dad is great and longtime friends with Jim Lucas of Force 9 Surfboards so we gave it to him to glass.” “We didn’t want to use clear grip tape, ’cause it doesn’t look natural. We wanted to keep it looking like a malibu longboard, so Jim suggested pouring raw sugar on the deck, then resin over the top to give it grip. It worked a treat.” “I used to bomb hills in the Sutherland shire areas, then when my parents moved to Nelson Bay near Newcastle, I’d bomb hills there. My favorite hill was to start at Gan Gan Lookout, down Lily Hill Road, onto Stockton Steet then onto Government Road all the way down to the Marine. Todd says the board is still seeing plenty use, either by him, or his stepdaughter. “It’s great to see I’ve passed the love of longboard skateboarding to my girls.”
ARBOR COMP!
TOP: Handmade and signed. MIDDLE: Getting some footage with a nosecam ABOVE: The next generation hops on board
Want some cool Arbor gear in the form of a skateboard, t-shirt and even some fame in an Arbor ad? Last chance to send us some photos of you showing your skating skills! Send submissions to competitions@smorgasboarder.com.au by June 1, 2012. www.arborcollective.com may/jun 2012
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THE SHAPER’S
APPRENTICE
S)! ( R E N N I W E TH
MAIN: Peter White of Classic Malibu ABOVE: Three new Shaper’s Apprentices the Archers from Buderim, QLD - will soon be making their “Squid” design a reality in the Classic Malibu factory, alongside Peter White. Congratulations!
THERE ISN’T MUCH PETER WHITE HASN’T SEEN IN HIS 45 YEARS OF SHAPING, INCLUDING SEEING HIS OWN INNOVATIVE DESIGNS OFTEN ADOPTED IN SOME FORM OR OTHER BY OTHER SHAPERS. BUT THIS IS ALL PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF SURFBOARD DESIGN - AS THEY SAY, IMITATION IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY - AND PETER IS HAPPY TO SHARE WHAT HE KNOWS.
Apprentice,” the Classic Malibu folks have finally made a choice. All contenders had merit, however, as Peter has been working on a mid-length board himself and wanted to get away from the stereotypical Mini-mal he chose the “Squid” by the Archers of Buderim as the board he would most like to be involved in the making of.
As an innovator of high performance longboards, he has worked with countless boardriders, from the professionals to complete novices - even his own son, Brett White, who is a true “surfer/ shaper” in his own right with 17 years board making experience. (Brett throws around a longboard like a shortboard, riding his namesake performance model at Boiling Pot, Noosa when the surf’s big. But he can also cut some tricks on the logs better than most. When he’s not making boards at the factory, you’ll catch him in the surf.)
He also liked the fact that the younger generation, with the help from Dad, had input into the design. This board should be a lot of fun to shape and hopefully a lot of fun to surf! He’s looking forward to working with “Team Squid” to shape this unique board....
At the end of the day, ideas originate from everywhere - sometimes it’s just for the fun of it. After looking at all the entries in the “Shapers 124
“The concept of a multi-fin with concave pockets, while not new, hasn’t surfaced for a long time,” Peter explained. “I also like the design and think it will work.”
Congratulations to Sam, Ned and Gus - we’ll be covering the project in a future edition of smorgasboarder, so keep reading to see how a Squid is born. For more on Classic Malibu, visit the website classicmalibu.com
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Deep fry it and serve it with chips, could THE SQUID hit the (ink) spot?
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The high five Check out the choices
DM MACHINE Shaper: Dave Verrall Dimensions: 5'9" x 18 ¾" x 2 ¼" = 24.9l Ideal conditions: Everyday east coast Australia Suits: Average to pro Ability Level: 6 -10 Description: Made for the best in the world, This is one of several made for a multiple world champion. Can you join the elite club? A little shorter and wider than what was common a couple years ago, the Machine model is the ultimate performance board. Construction: Dynocore™ with exposed cork deck skin Fins: Under glass preinstall 5 x plugs Shaper comment: The new echelon of performance and durability brought to you, using science and engineering, the best value in modern surfboards is here.
DIVERSE SURFBOARDS 476 Gold Coast Hwy, Tugun, QLD 4224 Ph: 07 5598 4848 dave@diversesurf.com.au diversesurf.com.au 126
BEAN CUTDOWN
FINLESS FIVE FINGER SPLADE
Shaper: Mark Rabbidge
Shaper: Mark Rabbidge
Dimensions: 5'6" x 21" x 3"
Dimensions: 6'2" x 19" x 2 ¼"
Description: Flat rocker, Roll vee in tail,
Ability: All surfers who want to have fun
Fins: Single box fin
Description: Flat rocker
Shaper comment: Revisited design. I used to cut down perfectly good longboards to make these things. Simply cut off the nose and tail and reshape middle piece. Use original fin usually reshape it too. Late 60's recycling.
Fins: Finless Shaper comment: These boards are not novelty designs - they surf in an all-round modern way without the hang-ups of old 70’s technology.
Ride from either side!
MINI SIM Shaper: A ndrew Wells Specs: 5'4 x 22" Ideal conditions: Small to medium waves. Suits: Anyone looking for a fun alternative Description: Hollow timber mini Simmons, flat rocker, big single concave running out through the wide flat tail with twin keels positioned right back on the corners Construction: Hollow Timber Fins: Hand-foiled timber keels. Shaper comment: These boards are fast and fun. Plenty of float and speed. A perfect fun board for small mushy days, but even better fun in bigger cleaner waves. Every Grown Surfboard is individually hand crafted from recycled and plantation grown timber. These boards not only look great, they surf great and will give you years of enjoyment. Awesome one of a kind airbrush artworks by Shane Martin available on all Grown boards.
RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN Ph: 02 4456 4038 Mobile: 0427 767 176
RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN Ph: 02 4456 4038 Mobile: 0427 767 176
GROWN SURFBOARDS Lennox Head
Bendalong, NSW 2539 www.markrabbidge.com
Bendalong, NSW 2539 www.markrabbidge.com
sales@grownsurfboards.com.au
PO Box 801, Ballina NSW 2478
Ph: 0407 889 049
grownsurfboards.com.au
THE ELEVATOR Shaper: Rory Oke Dimensions: 5'4" x 19" _____ Ideal conditions: Ramps, shoulder high and below Suits: Skate-inspired surfers Ability Level: Average to pretty good Description: Two boards in one: old skateboard rocker, 5-fin one end and a pintail, shovelnose thruster the other. Construction: Handshaped PU Ocean Foam blank Fins: GAS Fins Shaper comment: So many levels...
OKE SURFBOARDS 1/1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside, VIC, 3195 Ph: 03 9587 3553 okesurfboards.com
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CARBON FIBRE MINI MAL Specs: 7’6” x 21 1/8” x 2 7/8” Ideal Conditions: 1-4ft Suits: All types and age surfers and handles well in most conditions. Description: Carbon Fibre Mini Mal made from recycled foam and environmentally friendly resin. Lightweight, super strong and durable. Polished mirror finish looks amazing. Construction: Carbon Fibre, Recycled EPS foam, Soy Epoxy resin Fins: Comes Carbon fibre/ bamboo FCS-compatible fins. Thruster setup. Pricing: $1050 Comes with FREE “ECO PACK” worth over $400 including: Hemp Boardbag, Carbon Fibre/Bamboo Fins, Hemp Fin Wallet, Recycled Leash, Bamboo Soy Ding Repair Kit, Organic Wax and Bamboo Wax Comb. Groovy Baby!!
ECOSURFER Torquay, VIC Ph: 0417 520 052 E: info@ecosurfer.net www.ecosurfer.net
SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS
A green machine
The NZ fun magnet
TRANSITIONAL VEE BOTTOM Shaper: J ordie Brown Dimensions: 7'4" x 22 ¼'' x 17 ¾" x 18" x 3" Ideal: Waist to shoulder high peelers. Suits: A great smaller alternative to your standard longboard. Description: Based on the transitional longboards of the late 60s, with low rocker, heaps of flex and a heavy, rolled vee bottom. Construction: Heavy, tinted glass job with resin stringer and custom artwork by Tiphaine De Flurette. Fins: Handmade glass-on 10'' Greenough flex fin. Shaper comment: This stick is a great hotdogger and noserides like you wouldn't believe.
HIGH TIDE SURFBOARDS Skenes Creek, Vic 3233 Ph: 0401 437 392 hightidesurfboards@hotmail.com
hightidesurfboards.com
MINI LB
MOD LOG
HP EPS/EPOXY
Shaper: Mickey T Dimensions: 6’6” x 21 ½” x 2 5/8” Typically 6’ to 7’ Ideal conditions: Waist high to well overhead Suits: A fast, super loose stepdown for longboarders. Alternatively a super fun way for a shortboarder to volume up without loss of manoeuvrability. Description: HP longboard nose and tail without that other 3 feet in the middle! Construction: Hand shaped PU blank 6/6+6 Polyester Resin tinted, gloss and polish. (You can have a plain one if you want!) Fins: 2+1. This one has FCS 7” soulflex and GX sides. MAGIC. Shaper comment: I shrunk my longboard to travel-friendly size and couldn’t believe the result. This little bugger goes off!
Shaper: Mickey T Dimensions: 9’1” x 22 1/8” x 2 ½” Ideal conditions: Knee high to overhead Suits: Surfers who want a super light, fast and loose longboard that still noserides well. Description: Teardrop nose concave to rolled vee to vee double concave between feet. Moderate nose rocker, ample tail rocker and medium to lean, no-catch rails. Construction: Hand shaped EPS/EPOXY. 4+6 bottom, 4+6+6 top, sanded gloss finish. Weighs less than 6kg. Fins: 2+1, FCS fin box + fusion system. Shaper comment: No excess baggage here. Lean, mean and deadly efficient.
RAGLAN LONGBOARDS 257c Wainui Road, RD3, Raglan 3297 (on the way to the beach) New Zealand Ph: +64 (0)7 825 0544 Mob: +64 (0)274 460 396 E: mickeytsurf@hotmail.com raglanlongboards.co.nz
RAGLAN LONGBOARDS 257c Wainui Road, RD3, Raglan 3297 (on the way to the beach) New Zealand Ph: +64 (0)7 825 0544 Mob: +64 (0)274 460 396 E: mickeytsurf@hotmail.com raglanlongboards.co.nz
Shaper: Jesse Watson Dimensions: 9’6” x 23” x 3” Ideal conditions: Up to head high sliders Suits: Hepcats to kooks, kicks, flicks and hanging heels. Description: A modern pig/involvement style sled, but with modernised rockers and foils for the logger who wants to noseglide and whipturn like it aint no thang. Construction: 6/4oz deck + 6/4oz bottom gloss and polish, full wrap paint panels and an old skool glass leash loop - a nice mix of the old and new. Fins: Matching custom glass on Stage IV The Hook template fin Shaper comment: A modern sled for the discerning kook. Traditional in looks - but a real hotrod under your feet. Long rides on the grill and crazy fast cutbacks. My number 1 log.
black apache surfboards
BLACK APACHE SURFBOARDS Ph: 0410 419 791 blackapachesurfboards@live.com.au
blackapachesurfboards.com.au
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V-FLEX
BAMBI
HO CLASSIC
STANDARD MAL
Shaper: Peter White Length: 9’3” + Thickness: 3" Width: 22 ¾ Ideal: Ideally point breaks but guaranteed to put a cheesy grin on your face on mellow beachies. Suits: Hipsters and SoulKats, Freaks and Fiends. Ability: Int - Adv. Description: Features mid-60s elements, a softer pinched rail, single fin (box or glassed) rolled bottom gentle vee through the tail. The vee-designed stringer that runs ¾ of the way up produces added stiffness in the tail to allow a solid pivot and lift in the tip. Applying weight forward allows the nose to “V-Flex” creating a flatter nose rocker and a greater trim. Construction: PU foam, 3mm vee stringer, 7.5oz and a 7.5oz on deck with a 7.5oz deck patch + 7.5oz bottom. Fins: Fixed/box 10” hatchet Comment: V-Flex is the Sex
Shaper: Terry “Snake” Bishop
Shaper: Terry “Snake” Bishop
Dimensions: 9’6 x 22 ½" x 3 1/8"
Dimensions: 9’0" x 22 ½" x 3"
Ideal conditions: Bellambi Pools (I think that says it all)
Ideal conditions: Up to shoulder high point break
Shaper: Bronte Bampton Specs: 9’1” x 22 ½” x 2 3/8”- 3” Suits: 1-6 ft average to quality surf Description: Standard mal for all level surfers. Single concave with slight doubles through fins. Medium entry with average tail lift med/low rails. Construction: PU blank, FGI resins, Aerolite cloth. Stock: 6 x 6 x 6 Fins: Fin box plus stabilisers – can be ordered in quad. Shaper comment: This is our most popular mal which suits absolutely everyone whether you are a beginner or experienced.
CLASSIC MALIBU Cnr Gibson & Eumundi Rd Noosaville, QLD 4566 Ph: 07 5474 3122 info@classicmalibu.com www.classicmalibu.com 128
Suits: 1-2 foot fat righthanders Ability Level: Any Description: This is a conventional longboard, nice and wide in the nose, flattened rocker and double concave vee bottom in the tail. Easy to ride, with good flow. Construction: PU foam, 6 + 4oz deck and 4 + 4 oz on the bottom. Fins:
Suits: Everyone Description: This is a traditional mal, based on the boards coming out of California in the 60s. Pointed nose flat rocker 50/50 rail with a roller bottom and heavy. Just really good for cruising Construction: PU foam, Volan top and bottom. Glassed in fin. 2" Balsa with ¼" Ceder Stringer Fins: Glassed in dolphin fin
8’-10’ fin, with a set of GL’s in the sides
CARABINE SURFBOARDS 36 Finders Street Wollongong, NSW
CARABINE SURFBOARDS 36 Finders Street Wollongong, NSW
Ph/Fax: 02 4229 9462
Ph/Fax: 02 4229 9462
carabinesurfboards.com.au
carabinesurfboards.com.au
LIQUID STIX SURFBOARDS Moana, South Australia Ph: 0407 606 685 E: liquidstix@bigpond.com www.liquidstix.com.au Available @ MCS & Preece’s
OLD FAITHFUL Shaper: T homas Bexon Specs: 9’6” x 23” x 3” Ideal conditions: Knee to head-high, any type of wave where you’d want to ride a log. Suits: Someone after an all round traditional log, glide, trim, nose ride, pivot turn. Ability Level: Intermediate to advanced Description: Tried and tested many times over, this one is my personal favourites for a go-to log if I could only ever have one. Construction: ¼” cedar stringer, double 8oz deck, 8oz, abstract resin tint work as neat as it gets. Fins: Glassed on fin Shaper comment: call me
THOMAS SURFBOARDS Shop 175 Noosa Eumundi Road, Noosaville PO Box 239 Noosa Heads Qld 4567 Ph: 0412 131 491 thomas_bexon@hotmail.com
thomassurfboards.com
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS
Leave the rest in your wake...
PERFORMER
ALL-ROUNDER
THE LIMB
THE MACKEREL
THE SURFSKATE
The best of both worlds - a recycled EPS foam core and 2-3mm balsawood skin. With a weight of only 7-8 kg and an emphasis on manoeuvrability and maximum speed, the Performer is designed and shaped for today’s high performance longboarding. The Performer comes with a single box fin and two smaller stabiliser fins. Custom orders are welcome.
The Allrounder is an EPS foam-core performance Mini-Mal. It is the only board that features our newly designed 1/8’’ cedar rail stringers for added stiffness on smaller waves. This type of board is suited to most riders – perfect for small to medium sized conditions and great for all ages.
A balsa skinned EPS foam core shortboard, the recycled EPS foam and the absence of a stringer create a significant reduction in weight, with great memory and flex. A great board for beach breaks from 2 - 8ft waves, the Riley Limb has a set thrusters fins, but boxes are optional at no extra cost. The Riley balsa coloured fin system allows for changing fin setups and lets you choose between fin size, rake, angles, material, and more.
This is the modern version of the retro fish. It has a little less volume with a rolled deck giving it better and tighter turns. This has a quad fin box set up that can be used as a twin also. The cedar stringers separate the stained balsa strips to represent the Striped Mackerel.
The surfskate translates to new style wake surfing by using a thinner, smaller board for more tricks, flips, pops and airs. This board can be used in small hollow waves or behind a large wake boat.
SPECIFICATIONS Length: 9’0’’ - 9’4’’ Width: 22 ¼’’ - 23’ Thickness: 2 ½’’ - 3’’’ Weight: 7 - 8kg Suits: intermediate Ideal waves: 1-8ft Construction: foam core modern longboard Stringer: Triple, 30mm apart Bottom: Vee Tail: Rounded square Rails: nose - 70/30 centre - 80/20 tail - 90/10
SPECIFICATIONS Length: 7’0’’ - 8’6’’ Width: 20 ½’’ - 23’’ Thickness: 2 ½’’ - 3’’ Suits: Beginner to experienced Ideal waves: 1 ft to 6 ft Weight: 3.5 kg Construction: EPS foam core Stringer: Riley cedar rail stringers and centre stringer Bottom: Vee Tail: Square Rails: Hard 80/20
SPECIFICATIONS Length: 5’10’’ - 6’8’’ Width: 18 1/2’’- 20’’ Thickness: 2 1/2’’ - 3’’ Weight: 3 kg Suits: Advanced to experienced Ideal waves: 2 ft to 8 ft Construction: Recycled EPS foam core Stringer: none Bottom shape: Vee scoop in the tail to concave centre and concave nose Tail: Rounded square Rails: 80/20 Logo: Computer cut cedar balsa giving it the natural look and feel. Fins: Stick on 4 ½” wood combo thruster
SPECIFICATIONS Length: 5’10’’ - 6’4’’ Width: 20’’ - 22’’ Thickness: 2 ½” - 3’’ Weight: 4.6 kg Suits: Advanced to experienced Ideal waves: ½ - 5ft Construction: EPS foam core Stringer: Cedar parallel stringers Bottom shape: Vee from nose to centre and flat at the tail Tail shape: swallow Rails: Vee at front and centre, flat at tail
SPECIFICATIONS Length: 4’10” Width: 20” Thickness: ¾” centre and 7/8” nose and tail Nose and tail shape: Pin Fin: Single wood – reverse fish dorsal in box Construction: The solid balsa construction gives it good strength, flex and buoyancy. Suited to the experienced and agile waker or surfer.
RILEY BALSAWOOD SURFBOARDS Ph: 0412 376 464 E: mark@riley.com.au www.balsasurfboardsriley.com.au
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JUNIOR SERIES
FIRE-FLY TWINZER
MINI BULLETT
THE HYBRID
Shaper: Goran Peko
Shaper: Mark pridMORE Specs: 5'10" x19 5/8" x 2 9/16 " Volume: 32 L Ideal: These things work in anything from 1- 6 ft. Description: The Fire-Fly is a twinzer - 4 fins, 2 small leading fins and 2 larger rear fins. These things are fast and free. A fin set up that many haven't tried, but I know many will enjoy. A smooth rail to rail board that can do big, drawn-out carves or do tight, snappy turns in the pocket. Construction: PU foam and Poly resin (also available in EPS-epoxy). Fins: Twinzer (hand foiled fibreglass only)
Shaper: Ian Byrne Specs: 5"9" x 19" x 2 3/8" Ideal conditions: Small beaches to medium point or reef waves Suits: Surfers looking for better performance in a small-wave board. Description: These boards are stringerless to maximise flex. They have flatter rockers and a bit more volume as they need to be quite short to get the maximum benefit from the design. Most are vee bottoms and there are nine tail variations. Length from 5'7" to 6'0". Construction: PU Burford Blank, 4 x 4oz decks and 4oz bottom Fins: All have FCS 5-fin set ups to allow you to use as a thruster or a quad. Shaper comment: Added flex translates to a whippy feel and acceleration through turns. Customer and team feedback has been excellent.
Shaper: Lee Cheyne Dimensions: 6'8" x 22" x 3" Ideal: Most conditions Suits: Everyone Ability Level: All abilities Construction: Burford foam, Surf 9 glass and Silmar resin. Glassed to last! Fins: Future, FCS or Gas Shaper comment: Custom-made surfboards for real people.
Specs: 5'8''x17 3/4''x 2'' Ideal: From local beachies to Indo reefs Suits: Intermediate to Advanced Description: High performance model, nice even plain shape with a single to double concave with a bit of vee out of the tail. This board loves getting shacked at Padang Padang. Construction: South Coast PU foam and polyster resin Fins: Thruster, Shapers fins. Shaper comment: Custom order for Koki, a Bingin local charger. I've been sending a few boards over now and they seem to go pretty good. A lot of positive feedback.
KOMA SURFBOARDS 4/39 Bailey Crescent Southport, QLD Ph: 0402 863 763 peko_art@hotmail.com www.komasurf.com 130
Shaper comment: I am stoked on this shape. They go insane and I know a lot of surfers will really enjoy them. Twinzers have been around for a long time and have a good following in the States and for good reason, these things are super fun...
MORE SURFBOARDS Available through Da Bomb Surf Centre 3/ 25 Plaza Pde, Maroochydore www.dabombsurf.com.au Ph: 0405 475 026 www.moresurfboards.com
MT WOODGEE SURFBOARDS Stores at Coolangatta, Currumbin, Burleigh Heads Ph: 07 5535 0288 www.mtwoodgee.com.au
Join us on Facebook
LEE CHEYNE DESIGNS 19/48 Machinery Dr, Tweed Heads South NSW 2486 Ph: 07 5523 3237 0403 655316 lcdboards@gmail.com leecheynesurfboards.com myspace.com/454626994 tradewindsurf.com.au w ww.facebook.com/ people/Lee-CheyneSurfboards/1620685674
CARBON STRIP Shaper: Woody Jack Description: z grom model,slight single to double concave. Construction: burford blank with 0.5 mm stringer and glassed with carbon strip cloth + extra carbon tail patches. Fins: FCS Shaper comment: playing around with some different flex qualities... the 0.5 mm stringer helps to keep your rocker in its original form.
WOODY JACk SURFBOARDS AUSTRALIA
Unit 7, 25 Leonard Parade, Currumbin QLD Ph: 0415 789 706 E: wjboards@gmail.com www.woodyjack.com
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS
E S P
JOHN SCHMIDENBERG. Underground legend ROLE. Current Australian Champion MISSION. Nicaragua - 2012 ISA World Masters Surfing Championships BOARDS. Peabodys 6’1 and 6’4
ESP - and John - use GASfins
www.espsurfshop.com.au www.edsinnott.com.au ED. 0404 059 321 may/jun 2012
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UNIQUE BOARDS BY THE
CLASSIC WATERMAN CUSTOM ORDERS
We pride ourselves in quality materials and workmanship, designed and made on the Gold Coast.
9ft glider in a pigment finish
THE TRADITIONAL
8ft reel runner with a tint
“It sings a sweet tune” Dave Rastovich
carbon 5’8” quad fish
5’10” surf skate personalised by Anne Van Straalen
DICK VAN STRAALEN Factory: 7/3 Ramly Dr, Burleigh Heads
M: 0409 262 729 E: cwdvs@bigpond.com
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STORES THE BOARDROOM Gold Coast HO’OKUPU Byron Bay SANDBAH Newcastle SANDY FEET Port Macquarie ADRIFT The entrance ALPINE BEACH Erina SHOP NEXT DOOR Manly PATAGONIA stores
Shaper: Dave O’Reilly Specs: 6’5” x 16 ¾” x ¾” Ideal: Small to medium clean days. Suits: Anyone who wants to glide. Ability: Beginner to pro – give it a go. Description: All custom orders are shaped from the best premium grade blanks available. A flat deck with deep bottom rails and a single concave from just behind the nose to the tail. Thin the tail to give it some looseness and hey presto! – go slide! Construction: 100% Australian grown and milled plantation Paulownia, sealed with a mix of raw linseed oil and gum turpentine. Fins: No fins required – let the rails do the work. Shaper comment: Alaias are made for time travel – they will take you back to a simple form of surfing that gives you ultimate reward – a smile you can’t wipe off your face. Take the trip!
SURFING GREEN Coolum Beach, QLD Mobile: 0412 042 811 surfinggreen.com.au
ZAP CAT
THE ORBIT
Shaper: Glenn ‘Cat’ Collins Shaping experience: I am pretty certain Boards made: Don’t count Description: I am tall, dark and handsome. Think of a suave caveman Construction: 100% pure muscle with a twelve pack, to boot Suits: Anyone with an open mind Shaper comment: My own trip on the McCoy Lazor Zap
Shaper: Shane Forbes Dimensions: 6'0" x 20" x 2½" Ideal: Great board to get out at your local... and rips on small average surf. Suits: The all-round surfer. Check them in a bottle shop! Construction: Glassing, full resin tint with cut laps, futures fins, Glassed by resin master Mick Higgins Shaper comment: Coopers promo boards... Australian-Made by a shaper who surfs Aussie waves and drinks Coopers too! Look out for them at a bottle shop near you!
Surfboards and surfing props for movies and ads
CLARK SURFBOARDS 20 Cottage Road, Hackham SA
SURF1770NOOSA.COM
surf1770@bigpond.com surf1770noosa.com
E: leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au
M: 0422 443 789
Available at www.onboardsurf.com.au
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS
out A bat for of hell us io r se e th lo ee kn
BIG WAVE KNEEBOARD Shaper: D ave Parkes Dimensions: 6'4" x 22 ½" x 2 ¾" Ideal conditions: 8ft+ Indo. Suits: Made for me approx 78kg Ability Level: Must be able to swim in???? Description: Made for long turns and barrel riding with the ability to turn at speed when required Construction: PU and glass Fins: Available with FCS, Powerbase or Futures Shaper comment: I love this board because the thin tail really taps into the wave, whilst the rear set four fins give heaps of hold, but still feels free on the face.
CUSTOM KNEEBOARDS B Y R O N
B A Y
.
A U S T R A L I A
PARKES AUSTRALIA 4/83 Centennial Circuit Byron Bay, NSW Ph: 02 6685 6627 E: d-par@bigpond.com parkesaustralia.com
DART FISH
THE ISLANDER
Shaper: Michael Cundith Dimensions: 6’1” x 21” x 2 ½” Ideal: Small to medium surf Suits: 1-6ft Description: Extreme speed performance great paddler. Single concave or single to double concave. Construction: Special, new, high-quality resin and glass. Variety of weights to suit. Fins: All fin set ups. Shaper comment: People call me MC the surf doctor. Making sure all my customers get what suits them. Over 40 models to choose from. 53 years of shaping.
Shaper: Michael Cundith Dimensions: 6’6” to 7’6”- custom size Ideal: Small to big surf Suits: Young and old Description: A narrower tail than our Fish. Slight single to double concave, wide point in front of centre Construction: Standard , strong, not too heavy and very durable Fins: Thruster, quad, 5-fin or even single fin Shaper comment: Great paddler. Fast and loose. Indo reports are unreal and local comments great. The Islander suits all surfers. This rocket holds in so well and is fast and manoeuverable. Stoked.
MICHAEL CUNDITH SURF DESIGNS Ph: 02 6685 8778 3 Banksia Dve, Byron Bay Industrial Estate BYRON BAY NSW 2481 E: info@mcsurf.com.au www.mcsurf.com.au
MICHAEL CUNDITH SURF DESIGNS Ph: 02 6685 8778 3 Banksia Dve, Byron Bay Industrial Estate BYRON BAY NSW 2481 E: info@mcsurf.com.au www.mcsurf.com.au
TRADITIONAL LONGBOARD
CUSTOM SPOONTAILED LOG
Shaper: P eter Sheely Dimensions: 10’4”x 23 ½" x 3 ½” Ideal conditions: Point breaks or good beach breaks. Suits: Everyone who wants to get into a traditional surfboard. Description: Traditional longboard with the features of the 60s, with roll bottom and 50/50 rails, hippy tail and excellent noseriding qualities. Construction: Choice of stringers: one, two or three. Foam inserts, colours, tints, pigments or sprays. Volane 8oz or 10oz, or 6oz normal glass - you choose! Fins: 10 ½” to 12” single fin set in or fin box. Shaper comment: Traditional 60’s style board developed with today’s technology
Shaper: Scott Newman Specs: 9'0" X 23 ¼" X 3" Ideal conditions: Fun clean point breaks up to 3 foot. Suits: Not shortboarders Description: A classic log outline, pulled in 17 ¼" nose. Shaped from a mal blank spun around with the nose as the tail. Has a big, wide flip tail, deep spoon in it for all-time tip time. Deep teardrop nose concave runs into a rolled bottom. Construction: Foam, resin, sweat and a few beers. Fins: Single box with big 11" Dead Loggers fin Shaper comment: All custom boards are great fun to shape with not one the same. This board noserides so nice and makes the customers smile, so I've done my job.
PETER SHEELY SURFBOARDS Ph: 02 4957 3161 Mob: 0417 264 739 peter@sheelysurfboards.com
sheelysurfboards.com
SLS SURFBOARDS 2/57 George St, Moffat Beach, QLD 4551 Ph: Scott 0424 314 183 slssurfboards.com.au may/jun 2012
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Working flexitime
NOT A FISH
PERFORMER
Shaper: Paul Carson
Shaper: Mitchell Rae Specs: 6’8" x 20" x 2 ¾" Available right through the size range Suits: 80kg Ideal conditions: 2ft to double overhead Ability level: All Description: The latest innovation to our range of flex technology incorporating the V2 Flex concept with Kinetic Carbon Construction, which delivers increased energy transfer and controlled flex pattern. Construction: V2 Flex + Kinetic Carbon Construction. PU foam and polyester resin. Light high-performance or strong travel lamination. Fins: Quad or thruster. This one is a quad (my favourite) Shaper comment: Alive to ride, the most technically advanced design and construction on the planet.
Dimensions: 6’2” x 20” x 2½” Description: Similar dimensions to a fish but not! performance short board with wider nose (12½”-13¼") tail 14½”-1 5½”) full concave bottom. Construction: Hand shaped Burford blank, quality glassing with or without colour. Fins: Thruster with Shapers Fins also comes as quad. Shaper comment: Great all round board, with volume and slightly pulled-in tail comes in any tail shape.
THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS CALOUNDRA 17 Allen Street Caloundra QLD 4551 Ph: 07 5492 5838 factorysurf@southernfoam.com.au thefactorysurfboards.com.au
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TURBO CONCAVE FISH Shaper: Tony Dempsey Length: 5'5" to 8' Thickness: 2 ¼" to 3 ¼" Width: 20" to 22" Ideal: 2' to 6' beach breaks or points. Ability: Beginner to advanced custom made to your requirements. Description: 100% hand shaped, highperformance fish. Construction: PU blank and resin. Underground uses A-grade materials from local manufacturers. Fins: Tri-fin or Quad-plusone concept. Shaper comment: This design was initially made for Dave Reardon Smith, being a top aerial surfer. It gave him higher speed on the face of the wave, a higher running line and more power out of turns. 100% Aussie-made from the Underground shaping bay.
OUTER ISLAND SURFBOARDS 7 Bayldon Drive, Raleigh, NSW Ph: 02 6655 7007
UNDERGROUND SURF 3/31 McLean St, Coolangatta, QLD 4225 Ph: 07 5599 1040
outerisland.blogspot.com
undergroundsurf.com.au
info@outerislandsurfboards.com outerislandsurfboards.com
kirra@undergroundsurf.com.au
THE HOT DOG
THE BIG EASY
Shaper: Dean “Dino” Tziolis Dimensions: 5’4” - 6’ Suits: Anyone - Custom Description: Fun shortboard. Super quick, easy to get up and planing, yet responds positively to rider input. Wider planshape for small surf. Enough rocker for medium surf. Ride about 4” shorter than a standard shortboard. Original print Goodtime logos - it’s a piece of Australian surfing history. Construction: South Coast Foam. 2 x 4oz glass. Rails are lapped on the bottom edge in carbon Fins: AFC Shaper comment: Goodtime prides itself on making quality surfboards and has done so since 1971. Whether it’s a classic shape, a performance thruster or a simple fish tail, no matter how many fins... its been here or its in here. Goodtime is what surfing is all about. Over thirty years later, we’re still having a good time surfing!
Shaper: Simon Jones Dimensions: 6’2” - 7’ Suits: Anyone - Custom Description: Semi roundhouse wing round tail with a vee through centre toward tail. Construction: Burford blank, fully handshaped. 6/6/6oz Bay Mills glass Silmar polyester resins. Fins: Thruster FCS set up Shaper comment: Goodtime prides itself on making quality surfboards and has done so since 1971. Whether it’s a classic shape, a performance thruster or a simple fish tail, no matter how many fins... its been here or its in here. Over thirty years later, we’re still having a good time surfing! Rider comment: “After catching a couple of waves went to the back and found it was really maneuverable, very fun and you could walk up and down it as well” Tyler Wright
GOODTIME SURFBOARDS 29 Ipswich Rd, Woolloongabba QLD 4102 Ph: 07 3391 8588 info@goodtime.com.au www.goodtime.com.au
GOODTIME SURFBOARDS 29 Ipswich Rd, Woolloongabba QLD 4102 Ph: 07 3391 8588 info@goodtime.com.au www.goodtime.com.au
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SHAPER’S PROMOTION
GEAR: BOARDS may/jun 2012
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WETS
T S E T WETSUITS T THIS “LET’S SEE WHA DO” RUBBER CAN
WATER WARMERS
THE NORTH TO SOUTH OF WETSUITS 2012
Some of us are fortunate enough to only need rubbering up in the colder months of the year and with winter on the way, we’re once again looking at the best ways of warming us through the next while. But, rather than wait for the winter to come to us, we decided to find some cold right away, in a place where tough men and women pull up zippers all year ‘round... We test some incredible wetsuits, gear to keep us warm through our trip to New Zealand, from mild to pretty darn cold.
Zee headgear Page 146 NZ pride... Handmade, custom suits and more by Seventhwave: Page 140
THE DISCLAIMER
What you are about to see is pages of extremely average (and below-average) surfers mostly attempting to stand up and look cool for a split second or so. We sincerely apologise up front if repeated photos of bald men and a big-bottomed blonde guy offend. And sorry wetsuit manufacturers - we hope not to lower the tone of your great gear with our ugly heads sticking out their necks. Hey, there’s no big-budget productions here, just real products for real people! Enjoy these everyday surfer’s opinions and don’t be afraid to give this great gear a go yourself!
Kaikoura razor rocks... How insane are these?
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SUITS West Oz warming with Radiator: Page 145
C-Skins second skin
Lined with Titanium Triple X:
Page 138
Page 143
A wetsuit disguised as boardshorts: Page 142
Santa Cruz to Oz to NZ... Buell Wetsuits: Page 139
Thermalution heated wetshirt:
H2O... Wetsuits, gloves, even boots:
Wet gear in the bag... WASP
Page 144
Page 144
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T S E T WETSUITS T THIS “LET’S SEE WHA DO” RUBBER CAN
C-Skins Wired S2
2x2 Steamer RRP 3x2 $474.95, 2x2 $424.25 What do you call an obsession with rubber? I don’t know but it’s the neoprene this suit uses that makes it feel different. That makes it feel quality.
THUMBS UP for: Minimal water entry
But this C-Skins wetsuit shouldn’t really be called that. It’s almost a dry suit such is C-Skins’ fixation with eliminating water entry. Rest assured there won’t be any ice-cold water trickling down your back with this suit.
Cuff seals... nothing’s getting in there
For starters, there are liquid sealed seams. Nice. Then there’s a super seal glideskin collar (a multiple part neck entry) and lock down cuff seals. And if that wasn’t enough, there’s bungee fixers either side of the front chest zip! No water is getting in this baby. On the flipside, the seals were pretty damn tight perhaps they’ll loosen up a little with use? At the end of the day, you don’t want water entry, but you do want bloodflow. We did find ourselves reaching for this suit a good few times during the trip.
Know your tester: kookman... Spends more time underwater than standing up, so knows all about water entry.
Roger Hall fish... so cool.
Notable points
Easy neck entry... it always helps when you’re not struggling on those cold mornings
Stockists of C-Skins are listed online, or contact them direct on +61 (0) 412 081 546 or tomas@c-skins.com.
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This is by far the easiest chest zip suit to get in and out of thanks to the unique clam shell neck entry
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The neoprene is super silky and flexible so it is easy to move in and a good fit. With that said, C-Skins doesn’t skimp on the rubber. Warmth is not sacrificed in the way of flexibility
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The FireCore Poly Pro interior front body panel is not only plush and warm but seems to draw moisture away from your body.
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Even though it is a 2x2 it will handle water temperatures in the low teens.
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High quality, well made, looks great
www.c-skins.com 138
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Amazing 7’ Sadanah Surfboards single fin, making the most of some cool little Christchurch waves
BUELL
3x2 Steamer Buell was founded in Santa Cruz, Northern California, one of the most demanding testing grounds for wetsuits. Friggin’ cold water and monster surf demand the best.
THUMBS UP for: TOTAL COMFORT
So what did we think of it? It is best we let our good mate and photographer for our NZ trip, Ben Vos, give us a rundown. The reason being that once Ben put it on we couldn’t get him out of it. He liked it that much he didn’t want to try anything else, used it right throughout the North and South island. Only twice did we get him out of it long enough to have a trial run ourselves. “I liked the name and the monster logo. And the texture of the rubber got me toey. On a serious note, it was the fit and the quality of the rubber. The rubber was really flexible and just clung to your body. It made me feel toight and trim. “I find I chafe a lot with other wetsuits but with the Buell I didn’t. It didn’t restrict my paddling and the suit didn’t hold water either. Some suits can become quite waterlogged, but with the Buell it remained really light and when I took it off after each surf I was pretty dry underneath. There were also no annoying seams.
Know your tester: Zoolander... Very serious in front of the camera, likes short, stumpy boards and things with logos on them. Paddles well for a big-bottomed girl.
“It is one of the best fitting suits I have ever tried.”
Notable points
Cool little details & extras go a long way to standing out from the crowd
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Super gummy, stretchy, soft rubber makes it feel like a second skin
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One of the easiest chest zip suits to get in and out of thanks to the entry system
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Liquid sealed seams
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The monster from the deep, Static B, is just super cool
Originally from Santa Cruz in California, USA, Buell Wetsuits are now available in Australia at Triple Bull stores in Cronulla. For more information, call Aaron on +61 42 161 4068. www.facebook.com/buellwetsuitsaustralia
www.buellwetsuits.com may/jun 2012
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T S E T WETSUITS T THIS “LET’S SEE WHA DO” RUBBER CAN
All conditions... Waipu Cove on a Roger Hall Sea Creature and 7’ finless
proudly kiwi homegrown
Seventhwave
Seventhwave Wetsuits might not yet be a household name in Australia, but travelling North to South in New Zealand, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more loyally supported brand of wetsuit by the locals. We were fortunate enough to try a great selection of their suits for all conditions on our trip.
Max Comp 1.5mm Comp Ti FL ZB steamer (aka The Blue Flash)
$629 NZD (approx. $500 AUD) I loved this suit. I felt fast in it. Maybe it was because it was just 800g. It was super flexible, super light and yet still very warm. It was so light but also stayed light. The Seventhwave suits didn’t get wterlogged, no matter how many hours you clocked up in the water. It was like someone covered me in blue body paint although I didn’t take kindly to the boys calling me “The Flying Smurf.”
140
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Made entirely from super stretch 1.5mm titanium lined neoprene
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Breathable flatlock stitching. Could wear this right through winter in NSW & QLD
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Until this trip I hadn’t been a fan of chest zips but this suit completely changed my thinking. I am now a huge fan.
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Super lightweight and responsive (very unlike Captain Damage or his surfing)
Know your tester : Captain Damage... Has no idea he’s no longer twelve yea rs old. Will paddle out in anything, on anything. Gets inju red and bleeds a lot . Has a weird big ass.
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The Blue Flash streaks through Piha on a diamond-tail quad longboard by Mike Jolly
No matter how much of a coldwater wuss you are, dressing up like a ninja makes it okay
Max 3/2 Zip Bib
MAX 4/3 Ti G&S ZB
$899 NZD (approx. $715 AUD)
$1039 NZD (approx. $825 AUD)
Glued + Blind Stitched Construction (aka The Star Trek)
I loved this suit as well and it looked just as cool. Similar in construction to the Blue Flash but this time a 3x2 combo with glued and blind stitched seams and fully taped to stop any nasty leaks. I hopped out of the surf in Christchurch completely bone dry. It was warm as. You would probably be fine in most places right through winter in this suit.
Steamer with interchangeable hood (aka The Ninja)
This is it for tackling serious cold water. I can’t imagine you’d need anything more unless you were actually in the Artic but then again, we wouldn’t know - we’ve never been. Still, this is super-flexible and ridiculously warm. In 12˚ Dunedin water the suit actually felt like it could be too hot due to the sunny conditions, meaning it would be perfect for a miserable winter’s day. Surprisingly not restrictive, which I expected a full suit like this would be. I’d still take some getting used to suiting up astronautstyle constantly though - you cold water guys and girls are pure tough. A full custom-fit service is included in the price of this model.
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Seventhwave I must admit I have fallen in love with all things New Zealand and the Seventhwave wetsuits were no exception. Everyone has a different body shape and for that reason certain wetsuits suit certain people. A standout feature of all the Seventhwave wetsuits for me personally, was the fit. I found them incredibly comfortable. Another positive was the speed at which they dried. The Seventhwave suits dried the quickest. No one likes putting on a wet wetsuit. It sucks. Our requirements were pretty stiff. We surfed several times a day and didn’t really give the suits much time to dry. They were literally hung up in the bathroom of our motorhome and didn’t even get aired at night as we experienced torrential rain for the first week of our trip. So why do they dry so quickly? Apparently it is because the Japanese Yamamoto neoprene featured in Seventhwave wetsuits use a special polymer made from limestone as opposed to petroleum and this enhances their drying capabilities and eco credentials. Further to this, the neoprene cells are filled with nitrogen to prevent water penetration. The other thing that sold me on Seventhwave was the business itself. We visited the factory in Christchurch on our third last day and were graciously given a trip through the factory by owner, Paul Zarifeh. All suits are handmade on the premises and the company is 100% New Zealand owned and operated. We stress time and time again about the importance of supporting local industry.
Retro Jacket
$259 NZD (approx $205 AUD) One part syle, one part warmth, this trendy little top is perfect protection for those cool breezes when the temperatures are not too extreme. And with its retro stylings, you’ll automatically sprout a pencil moustache from pure awesomeness when you slip it on.
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Australia, New Zealand, we are all brothers in arms. Think of the ANZAC spirit. If there was ever a time Christchurch needed us, it’s now. After what they have been through and their unyielding courage to get on with things, the guys at Seventhwave are deserving of our support and their great suits make it an even easier choice.
Notable points •
These guys know cold water and how important it is to protect yourself from the elements. Based on the south island of NZ they have been building suits since ’87.
•
Custom fitting – Apparently around a third of people don’t fit a standard wetsuit so it stands to reason why it’s important to get the best fit, and hence best performance, from your suit. You can get your suit custom fitted using 22 unique measurements and even submit these online.
•
You can trade in your old Seventhwave wetsuit for a new one
•
The suits just don’t seem to get waterlogged and dry extremely quickly
Visit the showroom in NZ at 243 Dyers Road, Bromley, Christchurch. Freephone NZ on 0800 843 928 or Austraia on 1800 091 770, or simply order online at
www.seventhwave.co.nz
Titanium Hot Top Long sleeve
Watershorts/
SUP shorts $179 NZD (approx. $142 AUD)
$179 NZD (approx. $142 AUD) Perfect complement to your Seventhwave wettie or on its own with a pair of boardies. I wore it at Raglan with Seventhwave’s watershorts and was more than comfortable. Titanium-lined to reflect your body heat. Comes in short and long sleeve.
A two in one board short combo, a 2mm neoprene inner keeps you warm and stops any unwanted rashes or chaffing. These shorts are perfect for getting out on your SUP when you don’t want to look like a Russian gymnast. I loved these and made plenty of use in them in the surf. A great alternative to boardies when the water’s chilling down and the boys need warming.
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T E S WET T SUITS
“LET’S SEE W RUBBER CAHAT THIS N DO”
ter chillier wa Dunedin’s the in e or ch was no a Quarry Triple X, on Fish ch Bea
Triple X 4x3mm L/S Titanium 3D Combo Mega-Stretch Sealed Seam Steamer
$369.00 (Steamers start from under $200 in the Triple X range - see online)
THUMBS UP for: absolute reliability
We arrived in Dunedin. I heard the water was 12 degrees and went straight for the Triple X. The wetsuit remains unchanged. A Triple X 4x3 served me well in last year’s wetsuit tests down in Port Fairy near the Victorian/South Australian border in 13 degree water and as such, I had full confidence in this suit. It’s that simple. It’s comfortable and warm and damn well made. You would be hard pressed to find a suit of this quality at such an affordable price.
The titanium is covered with a plush jersey lining for added comfort.
Visit the Triple-X Wetsuits showroom at 10 Piper Drive, Ballina to speak to Don in person about what you need. Freecall in Australia - 1300 483 634 - or +61 2 6619 0469 international, or simply order online:
www.triple-x.com.au
Notable POINTs •
Lifetime guarantee – you can’t argue with that. 6-12 month replacement warranty and lifetime repair warranty. If there ever is an issue, which is highly unlikely, Don - the owner - will fix it.
•
100% locally made in Australia and hopefully we are all starting to appreciate how important this is and why we need to support local businesses.
•
Titanium laminate insulation shield, smooth skin chest and back panels significantly cut windchill
•
Super comfy plush jersey lining
•
The unique, water resistant S-Lock zip in the back is one of the most sturdy you’ll encounter
•
Fully sealed, glued and blind-stitched seams.
•
The suit is incredibly well made so it won’t fall apart on you after a few surfs.
•
Personable, family-run business means there is accountability and a genuine commitment to quality.
H2Odyssey boots to keep the toes toasty
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on a tight For those dyssey budget, H2O st have not ju a t bu s, it wetsu inter w of ge n ra n mix gear you ca We h. tc a m and ir fa tried out a ts bi t en er few diff . es ec pi d n a
THUMBS UP for: EASE OF USE
H2Odyssey Maliibu Hood Price: $29.95
A good hood that does the trick. Tested by bald men, so we should know. One of my favourites for its fit and I have tested a fair few. Big fan of the glare visor more for the fact it stops the water from streaming down your face. 2mm neoprene.
Gripper Split boot Price: $35 down from $65 (bargain)
Personally prefer this kind of boot with the split toe for added balance and end join to stop your leggie from catching. Recommend going a size smaller than your shoe because you want a super tight fit – wet neoprene does stretch and you don’t want to trip over you boot. Sizes 5-13. I wore these in Dunedin water and had no drama with them at all.
Magna Power Webbed Gloves Price: $34.95
Let’s face it, if the water is like ice, you want gloves. If you are going gloves, you might as well go webbed gloves to increase paddle power. The question is, ‘Do they work?’ Bloody oath. Even the Kookman ninja (Page 141) outpaddled some serious contenders with these babies helping out. If he can do it, be prepared to increase your wave count too.
H2Odyssey 3/2 Full Suit Price: $88, marked down from $179
We trialed this suit on the North Island of New Zealand. If you’re on a tight budget, you can’t argue with a suit for $88.
Thermalution
heated undersuit $380 with free shipping in Aust and NZ
Why squeeze into an overly thick wetsuit that makes you feel like a walrus? With this wetshirt underneath, you can wear as light as a 3x2 sealed wettie and still be comfortable in near arctic waters. We tested the Thermalution device in 12˚ water in Dunedin with a couple of different 3x2mm wetsuits over the top and if anything, it was as warm as you’d want it and more . See, the device has three heat settings. In low light, the Zoolander accidentally set it too high and felt like he was in a Jacuzzi. It’s that effective. All up, that just goes to show it works really well. It lasts for around an hour. The heating element is non-metallic so it is light, durable, secure and even washable. To power it up again, you simply plug it into an electricity socket or your car lighter. Use the undersuit surfing, on your SUP, snowboarding or even under your jacket if you’re heading to the footy. It’s a smart, reliable and affordable option to heated wetsuits at a quarter of the price. Big thumbs up from us.
You would think s the battery pack re wa rd ha d an add weight but we ing didn’t feel anyth in the water apart from being toasty warm.
It’s ‘Microskin’ chest panel cuts down windchill.
THUMBS UP for: PRICE
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For any of these H2Odyssey products, check out the website at
For more information and to buy online, see
www.seeyououtthere.com.au
thermalution.com.au
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T E S WET T
Having fun on a Hall finless while ger Ro on wearing a 1.5mm re, he d an Isl h the Nort w sa its su tor dia the Ra wn do use all the way to Dunedin.
SUITS
“LET’S SEE W RUBBER CAHAT THIS N DO”
Radiator
$324.00 long sleeve 1.5mm, $328.90 long sleeve 3x2mm How can we best describe our Radiator wetsuit experience? We were given two steamers from Bob at Radiator for our trip - a 1.5mm and a 3x2mm steamer. My first thought was, “We’re not surfing the north coast of NSW. We’re going to New Zealand...”
we are taking across a 1.5mm and 3x2mm?!
Look at a map of the world to see what I mean. Auckland, NZ’s most northern city, is in line with the Victorian border. Christchurch is below the entire state of Tasmania. Dunedin, further south again – only 4897km from the south pole! And
You want a wetsuit to do what it is meant to but less rubber is sure as hell going to make it lighter, easier to move in and easier to paddle. Radiator puts their ‘less is more’ approach down to their four layer composite construction.
Well, we used the 1.5mm regularly on the North Island - didn’t feel the cold a bit, and most days were overcast. A standout feature of this suit is that it’s incredibly lightweight, yet unbelievably warm.
The jersey outer skin is hard wearing, then there’s the titanium coating which recycles your body heat, an inner core of closed cell neoprene and finally a ‘slipskin’ lining which further enhances the reheating effect of your own body. Whatever the technology these guys have applied - and they apparently invented it - it works. We wore the 3x2 in Dunedin with a Thermalution undersuit underneath and were too warm in 12˚water... Need we say more?
No worries while you wait - the Radiator is as warm in the wind as it is in the water.
Notable POINTs Mens vest short sleeve 0.5mm
Price: $86.90
Same technology as applied in Radiator’s wetsuits. These ‘thermal’ wetshirts are all you need for tackling a midday surf in the middle of winter in Queensland or Northern NSW. I wore it on the North Island with a pair of boardies when the sun was out during a midday surf at Raglan and was 100% comfortable.
Radiator also have a cool range of accessories such as hoods, glocves adn more, starting aroudn $30
•
Glued and blind stitched seams
•
Unique 4 layer construction creates an incredibly lightweight, warm suit
•
Simple design makes for a very cool, yet understated suit
•
Back zip for easy on and off
•
Collar has an inner slipskin - great neck seal
Radiator suits are sold online and shipped out of Western Australia. Phone 1300 195 833 within Australia for more information or +61 8 9430 9284 internationally.
THUMBS UP for: warmth
www.radiator.net may/jun 2012
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T S E T WETSUITS
Zee WETSUITS Phase III 3/2 steamer
T THIS “LET’S SEE WHA DO” RUBBER CAN
Price: $399 AUD The Zee suits are better than ever this season. This year we trialed a 3/2 chest zip and the fit was amazing! To be honest, at first I was uncertain about the chest zip with one closed shoulder: I thought it may prove tight around the shoulders, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The range of movement in this suit was something else. The style of chest zip, coupled with the neoprene itself made for a very, very comfortable suit that just hugged your body - no rubbing and therefore no chaffing. Another cool thing is that the zip is designed to save from breaking. If there’s ever too much pressure applied, the zip will pop and can be rethreaded, rather than breaking the actual teeth. Each year ZEE improve their suits. There’s no bullshit, no marketing spin. They just find areas for improvement in their suits and get on with making them better. It shows. The thickness of the neoprene has been bumped up, so it’s a true 3/2. The jersey then adds to this thickness. As a result you could comfortably wear this suit throughout winter from the Sunshine Coast right the way down to Joanna in Victoria or the North Island of New Zealand. Exceptional suit and insanely priced considering the quality. Why you would pay a couple of hundred dollars more for a logo? As the hiphopapotamus and the rhymenocerous ask: “Why? Why, exactly?”
Zee very good custommade hood
NOTABLE points •
Glued and blind-stitched with liquid sealed seems on the inside
•
Liquid seal seems around the arm and leg cuffs to minimize water entry
•
Lifetime warranty on workmanship
•
Super soft, super stretchy neoprene with good memory
•
One of the smartest looking suits we tested
THUMBS UP for: FLEX AND MEMORY
ZEE hoods
Custom hoods from $39.95 Keeping the noggin warm is a high priority for us follicly challenged folk and the ZEE hoods did the trick. The custom hood made for our trip was warm and a perfect, tight fit. A great feature is the ear drain that releases water to prevent it pooling up in your ear canal. 146
Chat to the friendly ZEE folk in person on the Sunshine Coast at Unit 2/15 Venture Drive, Noosaville or 122 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba or one of their select stockists. For more information, call on 07 5474 1010, email sales@zeewetsuits.com or visit the website:
www. zeewetsuits.com
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BASIL WETSUITS Custom and colourful
Somehow, we just wouldn’t look near as good in this suit...
Price: from $250 AUD
While running the showroom at MC Surf Designs in Byron Bay and selling Protecsun surfing hats keeps Toshie Cundith busy enough already, she’s now offering an option for tailor made, custom wetsuits for men and women. If you have a specific idea or requirement, a generally unfittable body shape, or purely want something completely different to everyone else in the line-up, Toshie will measure you up, find out exactly what you want and Japan-based Basil Wetsuits do the rest. “Basil use the highest quality rubber and materials on the market,” Toshie tell us. From steamers to swimsuits to sexy shorts, retro tops and pretty much anything you can think of, you’re in the creative driver’s seat. For really cold water you can even opt for dry suits with fleece-backed neoprene, waterproof zip, zipless entry and more. A cool way to express your individuality in the water.
THUMBS UP for: individual cool
NOTABLE points •
Men and women’s suits available
•
Glued and blind-stitched
•
Choice of thickness - 2mm, 3mm and 5mm
•
Range of colours to mix and match
•
Each suit is unique to the order
•
Other accessories including computer bags, camera bags, stubbie coolers are available on order too
YES! Men’s wetsuits are available too. After eleven pages, do you really need to see another guy in rubber?
If you’re visiting Byron Bay, pop in to the MC Surf showroom at 3 Banksia Drive. Alternately call 02 6685 8778 or email info@mcsurf.com.au for more information.
www.mcsurf.com.au may/jun 2012
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TEST G EVERKNYOCTKHITIN TILL “DON’T IT” YOU’VE TRIED
Having your and changeroom on the ge a board stor t hurt n’ es do ch bea at all
A HOME ON WHEELS WORDS: DAVE SWAN
We could go on about specific specs and features, but we gather what you’re really after is a general lowdown on the Britz Navigator itself. Here goes:
There’s plenty of spa ce ins romantic a nachos and ide - even enough for beer dinner for three
e home is th ur A motor yo p ee k ay to perfect w exible, fl s n la p g travellin t holiday a perfec making r. even bette
On the road
Storage
Was superb. It handled like a car, was easy to drive and felt unbelievably compact as opposed to some motorhomes where you feel like you are driving a big truck. Plenty of guts for New Zealand’s steep inclines and good traction when tackling winding cliff-top roads. We never had a heart-in-mouth moment and we did a lot of driving.
We decided to use the bathroom as storage for our wetsuits and shortboards – there are plenty of clean public toilets in NZ anyhow. Aside from that we had room for our bags, a closet and enough storage compartments to house a full pallet of smorgasboarder magazines – 64 boxes. There was plenty of storage!
Seating arrangements
Cooking facilities
On the move you had the driver up front and one passenger. The other passenger seats were at the rear of the motorhome. It meant the person down the back could take in the scenery or grab a nap but was removed from the banter up front.
We had a microwave, gas stove, toaster, kettle, sink, hot/cold water, plates, knives, forks.. all you needed along with a fridge to keep the beers cold.
Inside - sleeping Whilst compact on the outside it was spacious on the inside. It comfortably slept the three of us without any need for spooning. Mark and Ben were up on the top sleeping compartment with enough room between the two of them to fit bags and I was down the back, far enough to shield the boys from my snoring. It would comfortably sleep kids and even two couples, as long as you were good friends and there were no intimate moments. Four big guys or girls may be a squeeze and entail some spooning. Thank goodness Helmet* didn’t end up coming along.
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Other facilities • • • •
TV, DVD, CD Linen, pillows, towels & cleaning products Lockable safe for valuables Dimensions: Length 6.22m, Width 2.30m, Height 3.30m, Interior Height 2.10m
The people at Britz were incredibly helpful and they even provide an instructional DVD to take along for the ride, so you know how to work everything. There are plenty of other motorhomes in the Britz fleet to suit you travelling group. Visit www.britz.co.nz or for travelling in Oz go to www.britz.com.au
Helmet* is a smorgasboarder contributor and mate better know as Pat Quirk, who dodged the trip at the last minute. Next time, Pat.
10/05/12 10:16 PM
Keep it safe KEYGUARD PRO PADLOCK LOCK BOX RRP $49.00 Forget jamming a key into your wetsuit or legrope, or worst, leaving it on your tyre... This little keysafe is how we kept our motorhome locked up and gear protected while we were in the surf through NZ.
PACKing SMART
The major advantage of this system over other car key lock compartments is its punch-in pin code, as opposed to the standard twist combination lock. With those systems, if you come in from your surf after dark you can’t see the numbers to enter your combination code, but you can feel your way around this one in the dark. Super sturdy housing as well.
STEALTH SUPER SONIC 105 LITRE TRAVEL BAG RRP $199.95 from Ocean & Earth This bag is an absolute cracker. Super sturdy for the rough and tumble of travel with durable inline skate wheels and retractable handle. The best aspect of the bag however is the split compartments allowing for easy access to your gear. A big thumbs up!
It’s not always easy to
watch the road
www.ksq.com.au
Split ents... p com artm rt a sm very
ROBE UP HOODED PONCHO $59.95 from Ocean & Earth Ever wrapped a towel around your waist to take the rest of your steamer off only to trip, lose your towel and land buck naked on the ground with your wetsuit around your ankles? Show your wares no more. Warm, plush and not too short. It also doubles as a dressing gown or imaginary boxing robe. I liked it so much I wanted to wear it out on the town. www.oceanearth.com
space Plenty of ndy a h and a inner net ent compartm
MEGA WASP TRAVEL BAG RRP $79.99 We realised this waterproof bag wasn’t only brilliant at keeping your gear dry, it was great at keeping your wet gear in. On our way home, we packed all our wet wetties in the bag. Any other bag would have been saturated. Super strong. www.waspbags.com.au
GO BANANAS BANANA WAX RRP $5.00 for an 80g block This stuff is super tacky. Best used as a top coat on a hard wax base. Can understand what all the hype is about and why this wax has become particularly popular with aerialists. Strong underground following. www.bananawax.com.au
KanuLock tiedown straps
RRP $79.95 Once we left our motorhome behind in Christchurch the only way to securely fasten our boards to our hire car was with our lockable KanuLock tiedown straps.On the road and at home, these would be one of our most used pieces of equipment at smorgasboarder. www.kanulock.com may/jun 2012
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SHAPING MICHAEL PETERSON R.I.P. 1952 - 2012
WORDS: ANDRE “ONDI” MARSAUS
Chatting with Michael Peterson’s mother, Joan over lunch today the conversation turned to Michael and his gift as not only one of the world’s best surfers but his ground breaking board shaping.
Tweed Street Coolangatta in the late 60s. They were surfing and testing shapes at the now world-famous Kirra break every chance they got, little did they know back then that they were shaping surfing history.
“Michael was the blueprint of surfing and now he has left his print behind.” Joan said. He shaped every board he competed on and spent hours developing the rails, rolled from top to bottom, and the fin position, set further back on his own boards to suit his long legs.
Michael surfed each wave with such confidence he made it look easy, he rode the waves with speed, flow and energy.
Michael and his younger brother Tommy began shaping and re-shaping surfboards under Joan’s house in
An amazing waterman and gifted surfer, Michael also had a great understanding how surf craft worked in different conditions. His designs, particularly the Moonrocket, or ‘Christmas Tree’ as Tommy called it, had the wide point behind the middle
of the board well before the other guys had worked out that this development meant you could fit more maneuvers in and get a far greater response out of the board. The boys at the shaping bay had a laugh at his new design and so did the crew surfing in the Pa & Ma Bendall thinking, god what’s he come up with this time. Of course he won the event and the Moonrocket became one of the most rare and sought after boards ever made. Michael’s shaping career spanned from 1967 to 1982. As he got older he moved from shaping at home to Laurie Hohensee’s factory where he
may/jun 2012 150 WWW.UNDERGROUNDSURF.COM.AU
May2012_Smorgas_History.indd 150
10/05/12 11:58 AM
Brought to you by Underground Surf
CLOSEOUT: HISTORY
MAIN & BOTTOM: A collection of MP boards, showing many different facets of board design. Photos Andre Marsaus. RIGHT: MP at Kirra courtesy of Dick Hoole. Supplied.
learnt the fundamentals of surfboard manufacturing and became the only young shaper that Laurie would give fresh blanks to. Michael learnt valuable skills from the boys at Hohensee and from there went to shape for Joe Larkin, Aragorn, Burford, Goodtime, Shane, Cornish, Gold Coast Designs and later with Tommy for Spiral Ride and Wintersun. During this time he created a couple of his own labels and opened his own surf shop. He marked his boards with Michael, Michael Peterson or M.P. and his own fruit bowl logo is legendary. He also had two MP models he developed for manufacturers, which
were carried on after he left and shaped by other shapers. Everyone wanted a piece of Michael, he was arguably the best surfer in the world for three years. He won almost every competition he entered and was the most dominant force in surfing in the early 70s. Michael’s designs were never commercial. He was underground and had his own ideas, which upset some of the crew trying to move competitive surfing into a new domain. Michael won the inaugural Man on Man Stubbies events on a self-shaped Aragorn in 1977. Following that he
RETRO LONGBOARDS & SHORTBOARDS • NEW & CUSTOM BOARDS • BOARD HIRE • REPAIRS• SKATEBOARDS • CLOTHING • AND MUCH MORE...
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competed in Phillip Island, placing third and decided he would get out of competitive surfing and go in search of his own waves. Not long after that he gave up surfing altogether but he never lost the taste and always remembered his boards. Michael came to all the Underground Surf vintage board swap meets in Coolangatta over the last couple of years and happily signed any boards that he’d shaped. We saw a disappointed face or two when someone dragged out a single fin in the hope that it may have been an MP and it got a shake of the head, but all were humbled to be in his presence.
He showed me how to pick his rails and the way he shaped some of his tails to suit his further back fin position on his personal boards. Michael’s memory was razor sharp when it came to surfboards and just six weeks ago we were talking about an old Goodtime and a Joe Larkin that he had shaped. “It’s nice to see the original fins,” he said, They’ve stood the test of time. They’re about 40 years old and they’re still going” he laughed.
New surf shop, old-school feel
3/31 McLean St, Coolangatta, QLD Ph: 07 5599 1040 3/77 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads, QLD
9/05/12 3:46 PM
FINDING IT Guardsg,s le d d a P Nose &pe & Leash Plu Rail Ta
POINTS OF VIEW
CAN’T FIND ANY SURF? PERHAPS YOU NEED TO LOOK HARDER. Gerry Lopez visited Australia recently promoting his book Surf Is Where You Find It. I was reminded of these words recently during a sunset surf check. The tide was super high and with a small swell most spots had simply shut down as the tide lapped the dunes and drowned any potential at the reefs. No one was surfing, there weren’t any waves to be had. Late in the arvo I went to have a look at my favourite spot to see what sort of indicators there were for the following morning. There was a spectacular sunset brewing and so I took my camera hoping to get some choice pics. After a short drive I was perched on the cliff top contemplating whether the wedgy little peak on the corner of the cliff was surfable. It was stacking up and running left and right straight onto the rocks, at best it would be about a fifteen foot ride. The normal break was simply slapping straight into the rocks. As I was photographing the sunset I noticed a four wheel drive with NSW plates pull up with a board on the roof. A couple of photos later I noticed that the guy had taken the board off the roof and was putting on a wetsuit. I had a bit of a chuckle and thought what a silly bugger this bloke must be, couldn’t he see that there was no surf? I kept taking photos and mucking around with the flash to see what I could conjure up. The guy with the board had disappeared.
k Fins
Pro Tec
s
epair Kt
afe R Travel S
With the sun having set I started wondering where the silly bugger with the board had gone. In the end I figured out he could only be in one place, so I wandered over to take a look. Tucked right up against the rocks at the river mouth the guy was sitting on his board. To my amazement he stroked into a wave that ran alongside the rocks, so close that if he had extended his left hand he could have touched them. The wave hugged the rocks briefly before picking up the sweep of sand as it headed toward the river mouth. On a day when no one was surfing here was this bloke catching some mad little peelers with no one else around. A couple of days later I spotted the four wheel drive parked outside Maurice Cole’s factory. Maurice told me it belonged to a Brazilian guy doing some glassing for him and pointed to a rack with the seriously long board he had been riding at the river mouth. I just smiled and thought yeah surf is where you find it.
Craig Baird, or ‘El Diablo’ as he sometimes likes to be known is a surf history buff and Curator of Surf World Museum Torquay .
SURFTECH AUSTRALIA www.surftechaustralia.com.au 152
For info on the museum, visit:
www.surfworld.com.au
ECO IS ECO BEING GREEN CAN KEEP GREEN IN YOUR WALLET TOO.
There’s a common misconception surrounding sustainability that I’ve been pondering on lately – the belief that it’s always the more expensive alternative. Forgive me for my philosophical ramblings on this issue but I’ve noticed over the past while how much this economic downturn is affecting everyone. And I mean everyone. So how do we live up to the ever-increasing expectations of being more sustainable? To put it bluntly, being environmentally aware is being shoved down our throats wherever we turn – reduce plastic, ditch that gas guzzler, conserve water etc. And for the pessimists out there, even if you’re not into sustainability, I think you might like the fact that being eco is actually adding up to be more economical. How so, you say? If you stop and think about it often the more sustainable alternative to any product works out cheaper if not immediately then certainly in the long run. So the downturn in the economy is actually helping sustainability in many ways. Gone are the frivolous chuck-your-cash-around-like-it’smonopoly-money days of the 80s and 90s. Us cynical Westerners are slowly realising that conserving water in the home, reducing fuel and power usage, choosing alternatives to plastic and installing solar panels will mean more beans in the saddle bag in these money pinching times. For surfers, often choosing the eco alternative is not the most expensive option, contrary to popular belief. Many eco surf accessories now on the market are very price competitive when compared to oil-laden mainstreamers. You may just have to search a bit harder. And when it comes to the humble surfboard we need to stop and think. Often the more economical alternative is in the sustainable board. For the price of two cheap made-inChina foam boards which often don’t have good long term durability you can buy or make yourself a wooden or sustainable alternative which can run circles around a mainstream board in terms of durability. So, don’t close your mind to the eco alternative because of the common misconception that it’s inferior or more expensive – as we see more and more examples of this in our everyday lives, hopefully more of us will come round to the concept that eco is in fact, eco on the pocket too.
Nicola O’Reilly is the better half of the nice folks from Surfing Green, a couple passionate about providing sustainable surfing products.
www.surfinggreen.com.au
mar/apr 2012
02 4226 1322
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STRETCHES FOR SURFERS
LOOSEN UP, CHUM
IMPROVE YOUR FLEXIBILITY, MOVE BETTER AND PREVENT INJURIES WORDS: CLAYTON BEATTY
I predict most surfers would like to have better flexibility in at least one or more areas of their body. I know as I get older my muscles appear to get tighter more easily after exercise and don’t seem to loosen up as quickly again. That’s why I make sure stretching plays a significant part of my training routine. Even up until a few years ago if I was rushed for time in my workout I would often skip stretching, thinking I would be fine without it. However these days I have a greater appreciation for regular stretching and the benefits it provides.
1.
WHY STRETCH?
2.
Stretching is an important activity for surfers for a number of obvious reasons. It will help improve your flexibility and joint range of motion so that you can move more efficiently when surfing (more mobile shoulders for better paddling, looser hips for different squat and lunge positions when riding a wave, etc).
Triceps / Shoulders / Lats
Reach one arm behind your head, pull your elbow with your other hand and flex your body laterally.
Chest
Bend your arm at 90 degrees and with your forearm on the swiss ball, then rotate away from the ball to feel the stretch in your chest.
It will also help prevent injuries as you are less likely to strain a muscle that is long and flexible as opposed to short and tight. Additionally stretching can also help improve recovery after exercise by increasing blood flow to your muscles.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO STRETCH? There is no right or wrong time to stretch, but there are times when it can be more beneficial. In my opinion the best time to stretch is post exercise (after surfing or after a workout) when the muscles are still warm. Stretching at this time will also help assist your muscles to recover and avoid stiffening up. You can also stretch before surfing or exercise, especially on muscles that are unusually tight. However I would also encourage you to do more of an active warm-up after stretching, as stretching can potentially relax your muscles, when really you want the opposite to occur before exercise. Thirdly you can stretch every day whenever it suits, such as in the morning or in the evening before bed. I know I will often stretch at night especially if I feel like my muscles are a bit tight from exercising or even from sitting in front of the computer.
TRY THESE STRETCHES… There are lots of great stretches to help improve your flexibility and I’m sure you all have a few favourites. Here are a few that you may want to try to help free your muscles even more. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat on muscles that are especially tight. Make sure you keep breathing during the stretch and only go to the point of tension, not pain.
Clayton Beatty is a qualified Exercise Scientist with a BSc Human Movement Degree from the University of WA and is a member of Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA). He runs Total Surfing Fitness, created to help surfers improve their skills and reduce the risk of injury. Check out his website for surf-specific functional training exercises. Go to TotalSurfingFitness.com, and there’s even a free sample workout to get you started.
May2012_Smorgas_Columns.indd 153
3. Quadriceps / Hip Flexors
Newport Beach, Australia
Starting in a half kneeling position, extend your back foot onto a bench and reach your hand up overhead to get a better stretch.
4. Hip / Glutes
Cross one foot onto your opposite knee, then clasp your hands behind your thigh and pull towards your chest.
5. Hamstrings Wrap a towel around your foot and keeping your opposite leg on the ground, pull your foot towards you until you feel the stretch in your hamstring. mar/apr 2012
153
10/05/12 10:12 PM
SURF DIRECTORY QLD CENTRAL COAST REEF 2 BEACH SURF SHOP 07 4974 9072
Shop 1, 10 Round Hill Road Agnes Water/1770 www.reef2beachsurf.com
THE BACK OF GLENN CAT’S VALIANT
Anywhere from Agnes Waters to Noosa
FRASER COAST RAINBOW BEACH TRADING CO.
07 5486 8558 Shop 1 & 2, 14 Rainbow Beach Rd, Rainbow Beach
SUNSHINE COAST NOOSA SURF WORKS 07 5474 4567
1/11 Bartlett St, Noosaville www. shotgunsurf.com www.lagunabaysurf.com WATERLINE 07 5474 1010 - 2/15 Venture Dr, Noosaville, www.zeewetsuits.com ILLUSIONS NOOSA 0488 686 206 2/2 Venture Dve, Noosaville & Shop 28 Sunshine Beach Rd, Noosa Junction www.illusionsnoosa.com.au CLASSIC MALIBU AUSTRALIA 07 5474 3122 Cnr Gibson and Eumundi Rds, Noosaville, www.classicmalibu.com ADVENTURE SPORTS NOOSA 07 5455 6677 Shop 6A, 203 Gympie Terrace, Noosaville www.kitesurfaustralia.com.au LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 07 5474 1222 3 Gibson Rd, Noosaville GOLDEN BREED 07 5455 3722 - 15 Noosa Dr, Noosa Heads, www.goldenbreed.com.au NOOSA LONGBOARDS 07 5447 2828 2/55 Hastings St, Noosa Heads www.noosalongboards.com
UNDERGROUND NOOSA
3/77 Noosa Drive, Noosa Heads www.undergroundsurf.com.au SURF SHOP 07 5471 3489 - 224 David Low Way, Peregian Beach, www.surf-shop.org COOLUM SURF 07 5351 1742 - Birtwill St Coolum Beach www.alexsurfshop.com.au BLUE LINES 07 5351 1986 - 1776 The Esplanade, Coolum Beach WALLY’S WATER GALLERY 07 5448 8560 6 Lorraine Beach, Marcoola Beach BOARDSTORE SURF 07 5448 7025 15 Mudjimba Esp, Mudjimba WEIR’S INSIDE EDGE 07 5443 4143 14 Memorial Ave, Maroochydore DA BOMB 07 5451 0620 - 3/25 Plaza Pde, Maroochydore www.dabombsurf.com.au OCEAN ADDICTS 07 5309 6624 103-105 Aerodrome Rd, Maroochydore www.oceanaddicts.com.au ALTERNATIVE SURF 07 5475 4811 11/140 Alexandra Pde, Alexandra Headland BEACH BEAT 07 5443 2777 - 164 Alexandra Pde, Alexandra Headlands; 07 5491 4711 119 Bulcock St, Caloundra www.beachbeat.com.au ALEX SURF 07 5452 6276 188 Alexandra Pde, Alexandra Headland www.alexsurf.com.au WORLD SURFARIS 1800 611 163 2/174 Brisbane Rd, Mooloolaba www.worldsurfaris.com THE FACTORY 07 5492 5838 - 15 Allen St, Caloundra thefactorysurf.com.au SLS SURFBOARDS 0424 314 183 2/57 George St, Moffat Beach www.slssurfboards.com.au SURFWARE AUSTRALIA 07 5491 3620 2 Bulcock St, Caloundra
BRISBANE PRIMITIVE SURF 07 3266 1001 - 601
Nudgee Rd, Nundah primitivesurf.com
GOODTIME SURF & SAIL 07 3391 8588
29 Ipswich Rd, Wooloongabba www.goodtime.com.au FIIK Unit 2/3366 Pacific Hwy, Springwood www.fiikskateboards.com COD 07 3207 0116 - 51 Ziegenfusz Rd, Thornlands www.codsurfing.com.au
NTH STRADBROKE ISLAND MINTY SURFBOARDS 07 3409 8334 - Point Lookout www.bobmintysurfboards.com
GOLD COAST KOMA SURFBOARDS 0402 863 763
4/39 Bailey Crs, Southport komasurf.com
154
SURF FX 07 5531 3199 - 127 Ferry Road,
Southport www.surf-fx.com SIDEWAYS 07 5592 3849 - 3012 Surfers Blvd, Surfers Paradise sidewaysboardsports.com.au STUART SURF DESIGN 07 5572 0098 2576 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach www.stuartsurf.com.au GANGSTA SURF 07 5526 6969 - Shop 1/ 2558 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach www.gangstasurf.com BOARD CULTURE 07 5572 9866 2442 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach www.boardculture.com.au LOCAL KNOWLEDGE 07 5526 6377 2251 Gold Coast Hwy, Nobby Beach THE BOARDROOM 07 5527 7877 2084 Gold Coast Hwy, Miami HARVEY SURF GALLERY 0414 557 624 3/10 Pacific Ave, Miami www.harveysurf.com MT WOODGEE 07 5535 0288 1730 Gold Coast Hwy, Burleigh Heads 07 5598 2188 - 2 Stewart Rd, Currumbin 07 5536 5937 - 122 Griffith St, Coolangatta www.mtwoodgee.com.au PATAGONIA BURLEIGH James Street, Burleigh Heads www.patagonia.com.au SEAN SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY 07 5520 2774 Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade, Shop 10, Goodwin Tce, Burleigh Heads 07 5599 1150 - Shop 3, 120 Marine Pde, Coolangatta seanscottphotography.com.au
DICK VAN STRAALEN/ CLASSIC WATERMAN
0409 262 729, 7/3 Ramly Dr, Burleigh Hds dickvanstraalen.com, classicwaterman.com DALE CHAPMAN SURF DESIGNS 07 5593 8411 Unit 3/48 Junction Road, Burleigh Heads www.chapmansurfboards.com SOUTHCOAST FOAM 07 5522 1600 - 15 Greg Chappell Dr, Burleigh Gdns Estate, Andrews www.southcoastfoam.com.au GOLD COAST SURF WORLD 07 5525 6380 Tomewin Street, Currumbin www.surfworldgoldcoast.com FIREWIRE SURFBOARDS 07 5587 7700 1/49 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin www.firewiresurfboards.com DMS 07 5559 5949 3/56 Currumbin Creek Rd Currumbin www.dmshapes.com D’ARCY HANDSHAPES 07 5559 5866 1/8 Hawker St, Currumbin www.darcysurfboards.com SHAPERS 07 5534 4228 - 9/7 Traders Way, Currumbin www.shapers.com.au
BURFORD REINFORCED PLASTICS
07 5534 3777 - 5 Stewart Rd, Currumbin
WOODY JACK SURFBOARDS
0415 789 706 - 7/25 Leonard Pde, Currumbin DIVERSE SURF 07 5598 4848 - 476 Gold Coast Hwy Tugun www.diversesurf.com.au DORRINGTON SURFBOARDS 07 5599 4030 16 Musgrave Street, Kirra www.dorringtonsurfboards.com KIRRA SURF/WORLD SURFARIS 07 5536 3922 8 Creek St, Bilinga www.kirrasurf.com.au UNDERGROUND SURF 07 5599 1040 Shop 3/31 McLean St, Coolangatta www.undergroundsurf.com.au COOLANGATTA BOARD STORE 07 5536 7850 152 Griffith St, Coolangatta www.cbsboardstore.com COOLY SURF 07 5536 1470 - Cnr Dutton St & Marine Pde, Coolangatta
NSW NORTH COAST SIDEWAYS 07 5524 6699 - 13-21 Greenway Dr,
Tweed Heads sidewaysboardsports.com.au FULL FORCE SURFBOARDS 07 5524 2933 18/48 Machinery Dve,Tweed Heads SURF XCESS 02 6674 5350 88 Marine Parade, Kingscliff CABARITA SURF SHOP 02 6676 3151 1/38 Tweed Coast Rd, Cabarita Beach
ELUSIV SURFBOARDS
3/16 Coast Rd, Cabarita Beach
BRUNSWICK SURF 02 6685 1283
1/12 The Terrace, Brunswick Heads www.brunswicksurf.com.au McTAVISH 02 6680 8807 - 91 Centenial Circuit, Byron Bay www.mctavish.com.au ESP SURFBOARDS 0404 059 321 - 2/81 Centennial Circuit, Byron Bay www.espsurfshop.com.au
Pick up the next edition of smorgasboarder at any of these fine businesses - out in July. Businesses that advertise in smorgasboarder allow us to bring you the magazine for FREE. So, be sure to support them! PARKES AUSTRALIA 02 6685 6627 4/83 Centennial Court, Byron Bay www.parkesaustralia.com MADDOG SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6022 Ewingsdale Rd, Byron Bay maddog.com.au MC SURF DESIGNS 02 6685 8778 - 3 Banksia Drive, Byron Bay www.mcsurf.com.au MUNRO SURFBOARDS 02 6685 6211 - 29 Acacia St, Byron Bay munrosurfboards.com.au T&C SURF DESIGN / McCOY 02 6685 7485 10 Acacia Street, Byron Bay BYRON BAY LONGBOARDS 02 6685 5244 Shop 1 - 89 Jonson St, Byron Bay MADDOG BEACH SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6466 4 Jonson St, Byron Bay www.maddog.com.au HO’OKUPU 02 6685 8861 - 2/9 Lawson St, Byron Bay hookupusurf.com UNPLUGGED 02 6685 7441 - Shop 1/ 2 Lawson St, Byron Bay www.unpluggedbyronbay.com LENNOX HEAD SURF SHOP 02 6687 7038 71 Ballina St, Lennox Head ALL ABOVE BOARD 02 6687 7522 68 Ballina St, Lennox Head MADDOG SURF CENTRE 02 6685 6094 45 River St, Ballina www.maddog.com.au TRIPLE X WETSUITS 02 6686 3939 - 10 Piper Drive, Ballina www.triple-x.com.au GUNTHER ROHN 02 6681 5879 - 3/10 Piper Drive, Ballina www.guntherrohn.com THE PLANK SHOP 02 6645 8362 Top of the Hill, Yamba NSW MID NORTH COAST GANGSTA SURF
1/15 Orlando Street, Coffs Harbour FLANAGAN SURFBOARDS 0432 361 694 Unit 26, 22 Lawson Cres, Coffs Harbour www.flanagansurfboards.com THE LOG SHACK 02 6658 0223 - 392 Harbour Dve, The Jetty Strip, Coffs Harbour www.thelogshack.com.au
Street, Tuncurry www.junglesurf.com.au SALTWATER WINE 02 6554 7979 5 Wharf St, Forster www.saltwaterwine.com.au
LONG REEF SURF 02 9982 4829
BOOMERANG BEACH SURF 02 6554 0351 Shop 4, Boomerang Dve, Pacific Palms
WIND SURF ’N’ SNOW 02 9971 0999
GRAFFITI SURF DESIGNS 02 4981 3409
43 Donald St, Nelson Bay
NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE SURF DESIGNS 02 4968 9989
4 Maitland Rd, Mayfield
SAM EGAN SURFBOARDS 02 4969 7299 28 Maitland Rd, Islington www.samegan.com.au
SURF FACTORY 16 Maitland Rd, Islington www.thesurffactory.com.au SURFHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY 61 Hunter St, Newcastle surfhousephotography.com BREAKAWAY SURF 02 4929 1144 - Shop 6 Hunter Street Mall, Newcastle
PACIFIC DREAMS 02 4926 3355 - 7 Darby St,
Newcastle www.pacificdreams.com.au
SANBAH SURF 02 4962 2420 - Shop 27, The Junction Fair, Union St, Newcastle www.sanbah.com.au
BREAKAWAY SURF CO. 02 4943 2699 181 Pacific Hwy Charlestown EGAN’S 02 4945 8055 575 Pacific Hwy, Belmont THE SURF SHACK 02 4945 8965
703 Pacific Hwy, Belmont South
SWANSEA SURF SHOP 02 4971 4422
164 Pacific Hwy, Swansea swanseasurf.com.au
CENTRAL COAST BEACHIN’ SURF 02 43 96 5159
262 Main Rd, Toukley
BOARD CITY 02 4397 1092 - 150 Main Rd, Toukley www.boardcity.com.au
ADRIFT SURF 02 4332 8355 - 133 The Entrance
Rd, The Entrance www.adriftsurf.com.au
BOARDERLINE SURF SKATE 02 4332 7175
421 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty www.boarderlinesurfskate.com
SURFERS CHOICE 02 4334 6532
473 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty www.surferschoice.com.au
1012 Pittwater Rd, Collaroy www.longreefsurf.com.au
17 Anzac Ave, Collaroy www.windsurfnsnow.com.au THE PERFECT WAVE 02 9939 0890 Suite 38, 42-46 Wattle Rd Brookvale www.theperfectwave.com.au BENNETT SURFBOARDS 02 9905 5157 180 Harbord Rd, Brookvale DRIPPING WET SURF CO. 02 9977 3549 398 Pittwater Rd, Mona Vale; 02 9977 3549 - 93 North Steyne, Manly www.dripwetsurf.com SUNSHINE SURFING 02 9977 4399 - 89 Pittwater Rd, Manly www.sunshinesurfing.com.au ALOHA MANLY STYLE 02 9977 3777 44 Pittwater Rd, Manly www.alohasurfmanly.com.au MANLY SURFBOARDS 02 9976 0591 - 46 North Steyne Rd, Manly www.basesurfboards.com SALTMOTION 02 9976 6518 Market Place, Manly www.saltmotion.com MANLY LONGBOARD CO. 02 9977 0093 Shop 10, 74 The Corso, Manly www.manlylongboard.com SURFECTION 02 9969 1011 - 522 Military Rd, Mosman www.surfectionmosman.com
SYDNEY PATAGONIA 93 Bathurst St, Sydney
www.patagonia.com.au BONDI UNDERGROUND 02 9365 0870 2/72 Campbell Pde, Bondi Beach DRIPPING WET SURF CO. 02 9300 0055 180186 Campbell Parade Bondi Beach SURF CULTURE 02 9389 5477 - 40 Bronte Rd, Bondi Junction www.surfculture.com.au MAROUBRA SURF AND SKATE 02 9344 4250 198 Marine Parade Maroubra
CRONULLA SUTHERLAND JACKSON SURFBOARDS 02 9524 2700
57 Captain Cook Drive, Caringbah www.jacksonsurfboards.com.au TRIPLE BULL 02 9524 4822 - 41 Captain Cook Dr, Caringbah; 02 9544 0354 - 23 Kingsway, Cronulla www.triplebullsurf.com
BATEAU BAY SURF N SPORT 02 4332 1157 101a Bateau Bay Road, Bateau Bay
WATER SURF+ART+CAFE
Distinctively relaxed atmosphere, exceptional food, coffee and tea, great service, photographic art from Australia’s best photographers, exquisite gifts and select surfwear and boards. (02) 6651 4500 370 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour Jetty www.watersurfartcafe.com OUTER ISLAND SURFBOARDS 02 6655 7007
7 Bayldon Dr, Raleigh www.outerislandsurfboards.com VALLA SURFBOARDS 02 6568 8909 8 Monro St, Nambucca Heads www.vallasurfboards.com.au COASTAL CURVES 02 6568 6902 - Ridge St, Nambucca Heads www.coastalcurves.com CRESCENT HEAD SURF CO. 02 6562 8306 33 Smith St, Kempsey CRESCENT HEAD SURF SHOP 02 6566 0550 Crescent Head Tavern, Crescent Head INNER VISION SURF ‘N’ SKATE 02 6583 7790 80 William St, Port Macquarie SALTWATER WINE 02 6584 4877 1/125 Gordon St, Port Macquarie www.saltwaterwine.com.au SANDY FEET 02 6584 1995 5/21 Clarence St, Port Macquarie www.sandyfeetsurf.com.au JUNGLE SURF 02 6555 8556 - 86 Manning
ONE EIGHTY SURF COMPANY 02 4385 8440
Shop 2, 82a Ocean View Dve, Wamberal www.180surfco.com.au
ALPINE BEACH 02 4367 4944
177 The Entrance Road, Erina www.alpinebeach.com.au
SLIMES 02 4365 5511 1/203 The Entrance Rd, Erina THREE POINTS SURF 02 4382 1541 170 Avoca Dve, Avoca Beach
NORTHERN BEACHES BEACH WITHOUT SAND 02 9918 2763 1a Nth Avalon Rd, Avalon
RAISED BY WOLVES 02 9918 8861 - 40 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon, 02 9997 4838 Shop 3, 8-10 Waratah St, Mona Vale www.raisedbywolves.com.au
EASTCOAST STAND UP PADDLE Dedicated to SUP - Sydney’s original Stand Up Paddle outlet. Performance, flatwater, race, and distance boards – we have a board to suit all skill levels.
0413 456009 0418 294854 27 Throsby Close Barden Ridge eastcoaststanduppaddle.com.au
LITTLE DRAGON 0403 974 967
1 Bramley Lane, Newport Beach
RON WADE SURF DESIGN 02 9979 7071
23 Bassett Street, Mona Vale ronwadesurfboards.com.au
CHANNEL ISLAND SURFBOARDS 02 9997 8266
4/76 Darly St, Mona Vale cisurfboards.com
QUIKSILVER MONA VALE 02 9999 3727
1729 Pitt Water Rd, Mona Vale
DIVISION SURF 02 9979 5334
Cnr Bungan & Waratah Sts, Mona Vale, divisionsurf.com.au
STAND UP PADDLE GEAR AUSTRALIA
02 9986 3420 6/53 Myora Rd, Terrey Hills www.supgearaustralia.com
BALMORAL BOARDS 02 9970 8600
LESSONS TOURS AND SALES Call Peter Japp on 0488 887 SUP or 0488 88 77 87
sutherlandshiresupschool.com.au
1228 Pittwater Rd, Narrabeen www.balmoralboards.com.au
WICKS SURF CENTRE 02 9971 0760
1103 Pittwater Road, Collaroy Beach
may/jun 2012
May2012_Smorgas_directories.indd 154
10/05/12 7:44 PM
CRONULLA SURF DESIGN 02 9544 0433 8 Cronulla St, Cronulla www.cronullasurfdesign.com.au KING SURFBOARDS 02 9521 3645 577 Princes Hwy, Kirrawee
ATOLL TRAVEL 1800 622 310 - 4 Bridge
Street, Foster www.atolltravel.com SERIOUS SURF STUFF 03 5674 2540 1 Williams St , Inverloch VORTEX SURF & SKATE 03 5672 4112 54 McBride Ave, Wonthaggi
PHILLIP ISLAND OUTEREEF 03 5678 5677 - 73 Phillip Island
CRONULLA STANDUP PADDLEBOARD Everything to do with S.U.P Lessons, Hire, Sales of New and Used equipment, Accesories, Apparel & more 02 9544 2293 0400 085 823 Shop 3,13-15 The Kingsway Cronulla, NSW 2230 www.cronullasup.com WOLLONGONG RETRO WOMBAT 02 4267 1322
228 Lawrence Hargrave Dve, Thirroul www.retrowombat.com FINBOX BOARDSTORE 02 4268 2050 1/269 Lawrence Hargrave Dve, Thirroul thefinbox.blogspot.com BYRNE SURF AND SKI 02 4268 3455 303 Lawrence Hargrave Dve, Thirroul 02 4226 1122 -115 Princes Highway, Fairy Meadow byrnesurfboardsaustralia.com SURF PIT 02 4283 7196 - 2/100 Railway St, Corrimal www.surfpit.com.au SKIPP SURFBOARDS 02 4229 1202 231 Crown Street, Wollongong (factory showroom); 02 4228 8878 24 Flinders St, Wollongong www.skippsurfboards.com.au CARABINE SURF DESIGNS 02 4229 9462 36 Flinders St, Wollongong
NSW SOUTH COAST SHELLHARBOUR SURF & SKATE 02 4295 3373
Shop 6, 32 Addison St, Shellharbour ZINK SURF 02 4233 1189 - 136 Terralong St, Kiama www.zinksurf.com.au NATURAL NECESSITY SURF SHOP 02 4234 1636 115 Fern St, Gerringong www.nnss.com.au AQUATIQUE 02 4421 8159 - 125-127 Junction St, Nowra; 02 4441 5530 - 55 Owen St, Huskisson www.aquatique.com.au BUSTED SURF CO. 02 4447 3485 10 Fairlands St, Culburra Beach OCEAN & EARTH 02 4441 2482 12 Springs Rd, Sussex Inlet www.oceanearth.com SUN & SURF SHOP 02 4441 1938 Shop 1, 168 Jacobs Dve, Sussex Inlet MARK RABBIDGE SURF DESIGN 0427 767 176 441A Bendalong Rd, Bendalong www.markrabbidge.com AKWA SURF 02 4454 5222 - Shop 1, Mellick’s Corner, Princess Hwy, Milton www.akwasurf.com.au
SOUTHERN MAN SURF SHOP
02 4454 0343 -138 Princes Hwy, Ulladulla www.southernman.com.au SALTWATER DREAM 02 4472 3811 2 Bay Central, Batemans Bay OFFSHORE SURF SHOP 02 4474 4350 66 Vulcan St, Moruya offshoresurf.com.au NAROOMA SURF & SKATE 02 4476 1422 30 Princes Hwy, Narooma DSC SURFBOARDS 0424 867 962 Princes Highway, Narooma BERMAGUI SURF SHOP 02 6493 4849 4/28 Lamont St, Bermagui RAW SURFBOARDS 02 6494 4466 1291 Tathra Road, Kalaru www.rawsurfboards.com.au BUSHRAT SURFBOARDS - 02 6495 9900 Widgeram Rd, Merimbula www.bushrat.com MERIMBULA SURF SHOP 02 6495 1515 Merimbula Drive, Merimbula
COUNTRY VIC SURF SHACK 03 5155 4933
507 Esplanade, Lakes Entrance
Rd, San Remo www.outereef.com.au FULLCIRCLE SURF 03 5678 5873 115 Marine Pde, San Remo; 03 5956 7453 4-5 Vista Pl, Cape Woolamai www.fullcirclesurf.com.au ISLANTIS 03 5956 7553 - 10-12 Phillip Island Rd, Newhaven www.islantis.com.au ISLAND SURF CENTRE 03 5952 2578 147 Thompson Ave, Cowes; 03 5952 3443 65 Smiths Beach Rd, Smiths Beach www.islandsurfboards.com.au ISLAND SURF SHACK 03 5952 1659 148 Thompson Ave, Cowes
MELBOURNE ZAK SURFBOARDS 03 9416 7384
SPOONS 03 5568 3452 42 Sackville Street, Port Fairy TASMANIA LONG POINT SURF 03 6375 1717
2 Pendrigh Place, St Helens TAS
SCAMANDER BEACH SURFSHOP 03 6372 5529
6 Lagoon Esplanade, Scamander www.scamandersurf.com
RED HERRING www.redherringsurf.com.au
03 6231 9001 - 75 Liverpool Street, Hobart 03 6431 2455 - 12 Mount Street, Burnie 03 6331 0984 - 127 Charles Street, Launceston 03 6272 7552 - Shop 41, Northgate
SOUTH AUSTRALIA BARREL SURF 08 8555 5422 - 10c Cadell St, Goolwa www.barrellsurf.com.au
FLY BOARDRIDING (08) 8555 5331
Shop 18, Goolwa Shopping Centre, Goolwa
BIG SURF AUSTRALIA 08 8554 2399 24 Goolwa Rd, Middleton
PAULOWNIA SURFBOARD SUPPLIES
159 Esplanade, Port Noarlunga South www.preece-sthport-surf.com.au
SOUTHERN SURF 08 8554 2375 36 North Tce, Port Elliot THE SURF SHOP 08 8552 5466 -15 Albert
Place, Victor Harbor thesurfshop.net.au
SURF ESTEEM 08 8557 7201 - Aldinga Central Shopping Centre www.surfesteem.com
THE DING KING / CLARK SURFBOARDS
0422 443 789 - 20 Cottage Road, Hackham leightonclark01@yahoo.com.au
PREECE’S SOUTH PORT SURF 08 8386 0404 FLY BOARDRIDING 08 8386 0100
Shop 41 Seaford Shopping Centre www.flyboardriding.com.au
ONBOARD SURF WIND SNOW 08 8294 3866
21 Saltfleet St, Port Noarlunga; 1-3 Lights Landing, Holdfast Shores, Glenelg www.onboardsurf.com.au
MV2 08 8382 2468
36 Beach Road, Christies Beach
LORNE SURF SHOP 03 5289 1673 130 Mountjoy Pde, Lorne HODGY’S SURF CENTRE 03 5237 7883 143 Great Ocean Rd, Apollo Bay hodgys.com SHIPWRECK COAST PORT CAMPBELL TRADING CO. 03 5598 6444
27 Lord Street, Port Campbell WARRNAMBOOL SURF CENTRE 03 5562 1981 136 Koroit Street, Warrnambool
AGNES WATER/1770
REEF 2 BEACH
Mon-Sat, 9-5pm, Sun,10-4pm
07 4974 9072
MOFFAT BEACH
EPOXY BOARD REPAIRS By appointment
0427 019 420
THE FACTORY SURFBOARDS Mon, Wed-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 8am-12pm
(07) 5492 5838
SLS SURFBOARDS
Mon, Wed, Fri 11- 5pm, Sat 8 - 12pm
0424 314 183
BRISBANE
PRIMITIVE SURF
Mon-Fri 8:30-5:30pm, Thurs 8:30am - 8pm, Sat 8:30 - 4pm, Sun 10am -4pm
KOMA
Mon-Fri 9am -5pm, Sat 9am -12pm
1/118 Jetty Rd, Glenelg
JRS SURF & SKI 08 838 47466 - Centro
Colonnades; 08 8377 0322 - Westfield Marion; 08 8223 5505 -121 Grenfell St, Adelaide CBD; 08 8231 9577 - Myer Centre, Adelaide CBD; 08 8396 4822 Tea Tree Plus www.jrssurfandski.com.au
WALLBRIDGE SURFBOARDS 08 8376 4914
27 Oaklands Rd, Somerton Park www.wallbridge.com.au
SNOW & SURF CO. 08 8223 5277 187 Rundle St, Adelaide; 08 8332 0900 177 The Parade, Norwood www.snowsurf.com.au MTB SURF 08 8391 3311 Mount Barker YORKES SURF 08 8854 4008 Marion Bay
DINO’S DING REPAIRS
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 12pm
0409 727 735
TUGUN
DIVERSE
Mon - Fri 10am - 4pm Sat 10am - 2pm
SKIPP SURFBOARDS
Mon-Fri 9am - 5:30pm Thurs 9am - 7:30pm Sat 9am - 4pm, Sun 10am - 4pm
02 4228 8878
JERVIS BAY INNER FEELING SURFBOARDS Seven days, 9am - 5pm
02 4441 6756
Seven days, 9 - 5pm
0424 867 962
Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm,
0403 693 333
THORNBURY
ZAK SURFBOARDS Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm, Sat 10am - 5pm
03 9416 7384
TORQUAY
STONKER
Seven days, 9am - 5pm
03 5261 6077
0408 701 467
THE SURFERS SHED
COOLANGATTA
0437 246 848
UNDERGROUND SURF 7 days, 9am - 5pm
FULL FORCE Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
07 5524 2933
BYRON BAY
DR DING
Seven days, 9am - 5pm
PHILLIP ISLAND
ISLAND SURF SHOP - COWES 7 days, 9-5pm
03 5952 2578
ADELAIDE
WALLBRIDGE SURFBOARDS
Mon - Fri, 9am - 5.30pm Sat 9am - 4pm
SURFBOARD REPAIRS
08 8376 4914
0431 740 940
THE DING KING
Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm Sat 10am - 4pm, Sun 10am - 2pm
SOUTH ADELAIDE
MC SURF DESIGNS
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm
02 6685 8778
RAGLAN, NZ
YAMBA
RAGLAN LONGBOARDS
Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat 9am - 1pm
PLANK SHOP 02 6645 8362
TOMBSTONE SURFBOARDS
Tues - Fri 9am - 4pm, Sat 9am - 12pm
0432 330 826
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WOLLONGONG
BELLARINE PENINSULA
TWEED HEADS
EXTREME BOARDRIDERS 08 8295 1219
0437 032 614
ROUSA SURFBOARDS
07 5599 1040
ISLAND SURF 08 8296 9776 363 Brighton Road Hove
SANDLOCK SURFBOARDS
Mon - Fri 9am - 4pm, Sat 9am -12pm
MIAMI
4 Piping Lane, Lonsdale, SA, 5160
Road, Lonsdale www.midcoastsurf.com.au
LONG JETTY
0402 863 763
OPEN 7 DAYS - 08 8326 0939
MID COAST SURF 08 83845522 - 8/200 Dyson
0422 304 078
NAROOMA
GRB SURFBOARDS
www.cutloosesurf.com.au
Mon-Fri 10am - 5.30pm Weekends by appointment
DSC SURFBOARDS
KIRRA
The largest range of surfboards, mals, SUP’s, wetsuits & 2nd hand boards is SA with over 300 boards in stock. Custom boards and SA’s cheapest ding repairs on site. 30 years and still going strong…
REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS
SOUTHPORT
07 5598 4848
CUTLOOSE SURF
BUDGEWOI
BUCKO’S SURFBOARD
07 3266 1001
Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:30pm Sat & Sun 9-4pm
VIC SURF COAST MURFS LONGBOARDS 03 5255 5525 82 The Terrace, Ocean Grove www.murfslongboards.com.au STRAPPER SURF 03 5255 2666 67b The Terrace, Ocean Grove www.strapper.com.au STONKER TORQUAY 03 5261 6077 - 1a Baines Cr, Torquay www.stonker.com.au HYDROPHILIC 0421 504 621 - 1C Baines Cr, Torquay www.southcoastlongboards.com.au SURF WORLD 03 5261 4606 Surf City Plaza, Torquay www.surfworld.org.au PATAGONIA 03 5261 4420 - 116 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.patagonia.com.au TORQUAY SURF 03 5261 5666 - 3/108 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay STRAPPER 03 5261 3508 - 96 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay; 03 5261 2312 - 106 Surfcoast Hwy, Torquay www.strapper.com.au WATERMARKS PHOTO GALLERY 03 5264 7232 38-40 Bell Street, Torquay www.watermarksphotogallery.com.au TIGERFISH 03 5264 7271 - 12/15 Bell St, Torquay www.tigerfish.com.au ANGLESEA SURF CENTRE 03 5263 1530 111 Great Ocean Rd, Anglesea www. secondhandsurfboards.com.au
BUSTED YOUR BOARD? GET IT FIXED HERE...
60 Burgess Street, Bicheno
BAY SURF SHOP 03 6376 1755
319 Victoria Rd, Thornbury www.zaksurfboards.com TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 9537 3222 Shop 2, 1 St Kilda Rd, St Kilda www.triggerbros.com.au RPS (THE BOARD STORE) 03 9525 6475 87 Ormond Rd, Elwood www.rpstheboardstore.com BRIGHTON SURF CO. 03 9593 2211 43 Church St, Brighton SHQ BOARDSPORTS 03 9598 2867 81 Beach Rd, Sandringham www.shq.com.au MORDY SURF CENTRE 03 9580 1716 628 Main St, Mordialloc mordysurf.com.au 03 9588 2533 - 45 Governor Road, Mordialloc paulowniaparadise.com.au OKE SURFBOARDS 03 9587 3553 Factory 1 1-7 Canterbury Rd, Braeside www.okesurfboards.com TRIGGER BROS SURF & SAIL 03 9770 2223 7 Rossmith St, Frankston; 03 5989 8402 Point Leo Rd, Point Leo; 03 5984 5670 46 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento www.triggerbros.com.au PENINSULA SURF CENTRE 03 9783 3811 40 Wells St, Frankston; 03 5975 1800 835 Nepean Hwy, Mornington; 03 5985 4637 - 2137 Pt Nepean Hwy, Rye www.peninsulasurf.com.au BALIN 03 5986 6069 - 12 Newington Ave, Rosebud www.balin.com.au BEAN SURFING 03 5984 5199 4 Ocean Beach Rd, Sorrento
DING REPAIRS
0422 443 789
7 days, 10am to 5pm except winter - catch us if you can
+64 7 825 0544
FIX BROKEN BOARDS?
Promote your repair business for $15 an edition. 155 Call 0401 345 201
10/05/12 7:44 PM
SURF TRIP ACCOMMODATION QUEENSLAND
Planning a surfing holiday or weekend away? These fine accommodation options offer great proximity to surf beaches in some of Australia and NZ’s best surf spots. Get out there.
NEW SOUTH WALES
PORTOBELLO BY THE SEA 6 Beerburrum St, Dicky Beach Caloundra Fantastic surf spots right on your doorstep. Moffat, Neill Street, Dicky Beach all within a 5 minute walk. Luxury accommodation within 50 m of some of the best restaurants Caloundra has to offer. Proximity: Across from patrolled Dicky Beach, on-site dining and shopping. Phone: 07 5491 9038
E: info@portobellobythesea.com.au
www.portobellobythesea.com.au From $325 for two nights.
TASMANIA
SHAMBHALA @ BYRON 14 Childe St, Byron Bay
SOUTHVIEW BULLI 19 Southview Street, Bulli
Majestic, hidden beachfront just minutes to the heart of town. Relax after a day in the surf in our ambient and tranquil environment. Beautiful rainforest setting with private spas, steam room, sauna. Perfect for couples or families. 5-star, selfcontained tree house retreats.
Southview is a bed & breakfast and self contained holiday accommodation, nestled between Sandon Point Beach and Bulli Beach. Recently rated 4.5 stars by AAA tourism it is the perfect place to unwind and perfect for the surfer and their family.
Proximity: Absolute beachfront, on surf friendly Belongil beach. 15 m walk to centre of town P: 1-800-SHAMBHALA E: enquiries@shambhala.org.au www.shambhala.org.au From $279 per night Quote promo code: SURF AD
Proximity: Nestled Between Sandon Point and Bulli Beach Telephone: 02 4268 6303 E: info@southviewbulli.com.au
www.southviewbulli.com.au From $145 per couple
KIAMA COVE BOUTIQUE MOTEL 10 Bong Bong St, Kiama
MARRAWAH BEACH HOUSE 19 Beach Road, MARRAWAH
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
The Beach House is located on an organic beef farm on the wild, west coast of Tasmania. The comfortable, self contained twobedroom cottage has spectacular views of the Southern Ocean and easy access to the beach. The perfect base to explore the wilderness of the Tarkine and Arthur River areas. 1 ½ hrs drive from Burnie Airport and 2 ½ hrs drive from Devonport Ferry.
Kiama Cove Boutique Motel is in a fantastic location right near the heart of Kiama overlooking Surf Beach. The motel offers ocean views, king sized beds in most rooms, off-street parking, free Austar, swimming pool and a fabulous sun lounge area overlooking the beach. Proximity: Right on Surf Beach and a short stroll to the main street of Kiama. Phone: 02 4232 4500 E: info@kiamacove.com.au
www.kiamacoveboutiquemotel.com.au
Room rates are from $90 to $200 for family rooms
Proximity: Close to quality reef and beach breaks as well as the local general store and hotel. P: 0 3 6457 1285 or 0428 571 285
E: marrawahbeachhouse@activ8.net.au
Rates from $140 per night
VICTORIA
COOLANGATTA SANDS HOSTEL Cnr McLean and Griffith Street, Coolangatta
NOVOTEL WOLLONGONG NORTHBEACH 9 Shirley Street, BYRON BAY
Your ultimate surf HQ! Where else can you find some of the world’s best beaches and beach breaks on your doorstep - Kirra, Snapper Rocks, D-Bah, Rainbow Bay, Greenmount and Coolangatta? Free breakfast, free pick-up, economical shared and private rooms. Stay three nights and you can travel to Byron Bay for free on our shuttle bus! Part of the Coolangatta Adventure Crew.
Outrigger Bay is the perfect Byron getaway for the ultimate relaxing holiday. With direct access to the beach, these fabulous 2 or 3 bedroom apartments are not only in a stunning location but are also so close to Byron’s great restaurants and bars. This is an ideal location for a surfing holiday with the family or a group of friends.
Proximity: Across from great surf breaks, restaurants, nightlife Phone: 07 5536 7472 E: hostel@taphouse.com.au
www.coolangattasandshostel.com.au
Proximity: DIRECT ACCESS to beach - only 50m walk. 2 min walk to town centre shops. P: 02 6685 8646 E: info@outriggerbay.com www.outriggerbay.com
Rates from $29 per night
From $195 per night
TV 156
gym
laundry
kitchen
parking
wi-fi
2-14 Cliff Rd, North Wollongong
Stunning ocean views, spacious, light filled rooms and a reputation for exceptional service has made Novotel Wollongong Northbeach one of New South Wales’s most popular getaway and business venues. Opposite North Wollongong beach, the 4 ½ star hotel boasts 204 rooms and suites. Catering for both the leisure and business traveller, there’s a range of facilities and services including pool, spa, fitness centre, day spa, restaurant and two bars.
SCAMANDER BEACH SHACK 130 Scamander Ave, SCAMANDER SILVERWATER RESORT 17 Potters Hill Rd, San Remo Spacious one, two and three-bedroom self-contained apartments all with spectacular bay views and modern conveniences. Complementing the 4.5 star accommodation is an excellent range of resort facilities including indoor and outdoor pool, billiards and games room, tennis and basketball courts, restaurant and bar.
Proximity: Beach 50m, CBD 2km, train Station 1km, Sydney Airport 70km Phone: 02 4224 3111 www.novotelnorthbeach.com.au
Proximity: Five mins to surf beach, two mins to town Phone: 1800 033 403 res@silverwaterresort.com.au www.silverwaterresort.com.au
From $209 per night
From $175 per night
pool
airconditioning
family-friendly
pet-friendly
This is the ultimate authentic beach shack and only $130 per night, anytime of the year! Amazing location right opposite Tasmania’s premium east-coast surfing beach. Uninterrupted views of waves and the Scamander River mouth provide breathtaking scenery sitting in the comfort of the shack. An ideal getaway for surfers and their families or keen fisherpersons plus a cosy getaway for a couple. Proximity: Right opposite Scamander Beach. Phone: 0400 912 583
www.scamanderbeachshack.com
$130 per night, all year round
spa
bbq
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PIWIWIWI SURF CAMPERVAN RENTALS Raglan NZ DON’T STAY... EXPLORE! The only campervan rentals company in New Zealand aimed at surfers. Vans are kitted out with all the gear you need including straps to hold your boards safe INSIDE the van. PiwiWiwi is a small, friendly company based in the magic surf town of Raglan. Transfers to and from Auckland Airport available. Raglan Office: +64 7 825 0974 NZ Free Phone: 0800 74 94 94 E: info@piwiwiwi.co.nz www.piwiwiwi.co.nz From $25 per night
RAGLAN KOPUA HOLIDAY PARK 61 Marine Parade Raglan NZ Located just across from Raglans town centre and almost completely surrounded by water, we offer motel units, tourist flats, studio units and backpacker accommodation, plus powered and non-powered camping sites.
E: stay@raglanholidaypark.co.nz
www.raglanholidaypark.co.nz From $17 per person
MAKING A SURFBOARD?
onlY
RESTORATION OR REPAIR?
$30
LEARNING ABOUT THE INDUSTRY? MAKING BLANKS MAKING FINS?
WANTED:
SALESPERSON
SUP
toUGH, affoRDaBle & SImPle StoRaGe D aR Bo Rf & SU SolUtIon foR all BoaRDS!
StRaPS
Like us on Facebook - elofant board straps. Order straps online from
www.elofant.com
Commission basis, to sell high-quality, sustainable surf accessories and products. East Coast Australia.
Please contact Dave of Surfing Green on 0412 351 585
416 A4, full-colour pages, over 1000 photos.
THE SURFER’S $79.95 TEXTBOOK
BUY ONLINE TODAY
WWW.SURFERSTEXTBOOK.COM.AU
GOING FOR A SURF?
SO WHERE YOU GOING TO HIDE YOUR KEYS?
GET A COMBINATION KEY LOCK BOX! from Keywatch Systems MODELS TO SUIT CARS, UTES, WAGONS, 4WD & HITCH TYPE TOW BARS
Buy direct from importer online or by phone:
www.ksq.com.au sales@ksq.com.au
No big brands. No marketing hype. Just cool merchandise from the salt of the Australian surf community
0409 762 040
SUBSCRIBE!
If you can’t get to a your local surf shop to pick the mag up in person, have smorgasboarder delivered to your door. The mag’s still free, but Australia Post want to get paid...
$18 IN AUSTRALIA GETS YOU SIX EDITIONS, DELIVERED. Sign up at www.smorgasboarder.com.au. It’ll arrive every two months. Missed an edition? Back issues are available for $5 each. INTERNATIONAL SUBCRIPTIONS email for info: subscriptions@smorgasboarder.com.au
KEEP KIDS
SAFE!
ADVERTISE IN THE SURF
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A $50,000 WIPEOUT? SURF TRAVEL INSURANCE
from INDO SURF & LINGO
indosurf.com.au
may/jun 2012
May2012_Smorgas_directories2.indd 157
FROM
$29.95
UNDERTOW? FLASH RIPS?
With our world famous left hand breaks just a short drive, you’ll love the laid back atmosphere of Raglan - art galleries, wonderful eateries, great fishing and of course our fantastic west coast sunsets Proximity: Short walk to harbour and main street. 7km to Manu bay and Whale Bay Point breaks. Phone: 08004raglan
* Boards not included
SURF DIRECTORY
NEW ZEALAND
Small surf businesses,cool products and more!
Keen to hop on a plane? Accommodation now including NZ!
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SURF TRIP ACCOMMODATION
Brought to you by
COOLUM BEACH Welcome to a world of beachbreaks, boosts, barrels and brilliant fun - Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast North Shore. Beyond the tourist strip of Mooloolaba and just south of the righthand pointbreaks of Noosa, the water here is warm all year ‘round and there’s no shortage of surf breaks. It’s a true surfers playground and a top destination with a unique personality and charm. Here are your top choices for accommodation.
Noel Mooney - 0417 756 076 coolumbusinessandtourism.com
EXECUTIVE ACCOMMODATION
PET-FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATION
YOUR CHOICE OF HOLIDAY APARTMENTS
Managing over 25 executive beach homes and apartments from Twin Waters through to Coolum Beach, Coolum Holidays has the perfect property to indulge all of your needs while on vacation.
Take your four legged friend on your next holiday! Enjoy a stress free holiday knowing your pet is safe with you. Pet friendly holidays are becoming increasingly popular and Coolum Holidays has 30 holiday homes that specialise in providing the right accommodation for you and your pooch. All our holiday homes adhere to strict policies and conditions so that your holiday with your beloved pet is safe, secure and comfortable.
Managing an array of self contained apartments on the beautiful North Shore, Coolum Holidays will help you find the perfect apartment to relax in whether it be for two nights or two months.
All of our executive properties are tastefully decorated throughout and provide a high standard of facilities including swimming pool, air conditioning, bbq and pay television. Accommodating singles, couples and families, our portfolio of executive accommodation will surely not disappoint. P: 1300 303 423
www.coolumholidays.com.au
A $110.00 non refundable pet fee applies to all bookings made – a small price to pay for peace of mind. P: 1300 303 423
www.coolumholidays.com.au
From $1300 a week, shorter stays available
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From $490 a week, shorter stays available
Stay in one our apartments and stretch out with more privacy and space than a hotel room, perfect for an extended stay or corporate accommodation. We can offer you a great deal on one, two and three bedroom apartments – phone our friendly booking consultants today. P: 1300 303 423
www.coolumholidays.com.au
From $490 a week, shorter stays available
COOLUM BEACH GETAWAY RESORT 3-7 First Ave, Coolum Beach A modern 4½ star resort. 18 spacious, air-conditioned 1, 2 & 3 bedroom townhouse-style units and apartments with self-contained kitchens, laundry and lock up garage. Tropical gardens, heated pool and spa, half tennis court, plus bike and surfboard hire. One street back from the beach with a quiet, pleasant family atmosphere. Proximity: Only a short stroll to Coolum’s fabulous beach, alfresco dining and shopping. Located centrally on the Sunshine Coast, the tourist attractions, world-class golf courses and rainforest walks are all within easy driving distance. P: 07 5471 6759 F: 07 5471 6222 Australia: 1300 723 263 E: info@getawayresort.com.au www.getawayresort.com.au Phone for your special price
SEACHANGE COOLUM BEACH 1864 David Low Way, Coolum Beach
A world away from the everyday... 35 boutique holiday apartments with style and character... The ideal retreat for your tropical getaway. Designed to be different from the rest, Seachange features fully selfcontained one, two bedroom and family apartments - some with private rooftop spas and ocean views, all immaculately presented by resident managers who offer you personalised friendly service. Isn’t it time you experienced Seachange? Proximity: Walking distance to beach, local shops, restaurants P: 07 5471 7799 F: 07 5446 5380 Freecall: 1800 008 112
info@seachangecoolumbeach.com.au seachangecoolumbeach.com.au
Call for best rates
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BUSINESS PROMOTION
SURFING COOLUM Surf spots within close vicinity include Coolum main beach where a consistent left-hander reels in from in front of the surf club. At the southern end of the beach below the lookout at Point Perry, when the swell is 4 foot plus, a quality righthander can break close to the rocks. This wave is definitely the standout when it’s on but typically a place for the chargers in the surfing community. Just over the headland the FIRST and SECOND BAY (from the water it is really one bay) are also popular and fairly consistent. Although surrounded by rocks, the bottom is largely sand and the lefts and rights can be found depending on where you want to sit. In rare conditions, THIRD BAY breaks but this is definitely rocky and risky.
COOLUM CAPRICE 1770 David Low Way, Coolum Beach Located right in the heart of Coolum Beach, our ocean view, fully self contained apartments cater for couples, families and groups. With 1, 2 or 3 bedroom apartments to choose from, Coolum Caprice boasts the best views and location in town. Proximity: Middle of town, walking distance to shops and restaurants. Directly across the road from the beach and Surf Club. 15 minutes Sunshine Coast Airport and 1½ hours from Brisbane Airport. Phone: 07 5446 2177 E: relax@coolumcaprice.com.au www.coolumcaprice.com.au From $140 per night Smorgasboarder reader special:
Call today for 20% off!
ENDLESS SUMMER RESORT 9-21 Frank St, Coolum Beach
COOLUM SEASIDE 6-8 Perry St, Coolum Beach
This is the perfect place to stay in Coolum for holiday resort accommodation. Ideal for couples or the whole family. Choose from fully self-contained and spacious apartments located in a peaceful setting, away from traffic, but only a 100m stroll to the surf beach, main restaurants and sidewalk shops. Fantastic 25m heated pool, waterslide, children’s playground and mini golf on-site.
Perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the Sunshine Coast’s natural scenic beauty and holiday attractions. Our fully self-contained AAA 5-star rated one to four bedroom apartments are air conditioned and have Austar, LCD TVs, CD & DVD players. Roof terraces are available with majestic coastal & hinterland views. Facilities include 3 heated pools, 4 spas, tennis court, gymnasium, internet lounge/ library and poolside barbecues.
Proximity: 100m to patrolled surf beach and shops. Phone: +61 7 5471 9800
E: holiday@endlesssummerresort.com
www.endlesssummerresort.com Keep an eye on our web page for specials throughout the year or call direct to ask for our special surfer’s rates.
Proximity: Short stroll to patrolled beach, shops, cafes and restaurants. Phone: 1800 809 062 E: info@coolumseaside.com www.coolumseaside.com Check our specials online
COOLUM MOTEL & BUDGET ACCOMMODATION 1862 David Low Way, Cnr Ann St, Coolum Beach
ELEMENT ON COOLUM BEACH 1808 David Low Way, Coolum Beach
Coolum Motel is ideally located across from beautiful Coolum Beach. We offer a variety of room types ranging from Private Ensuited Rooms to Budget and Backpacker style and facilities. For a family friendly venue offering fantastic deals and discounts Stay with us!
This is seaside luxury right on Coolum Beach. These self contained luxury Coolum beach apartments combine the best of urban chic and beachside living. Stay in either a one, two or three bedroom holiday apartment right in the heart of Coolum and right across from Coolum Beach. Surf all day and stay in style at Element on Coolum Beach.
Proximity: Short walking distance to restaurants, shops and clubs. Phone: 07 5471 6666 E: info@coolummotel.com www.coolummotel.com From only $ 35 per night. Quote this magazine for 20% DISCOUNT!
Proximity: 1 minute walk to beach, shops and restaurants. Phone: 1300 139 744
stay@elementoncoolumbeach.com.au www.elementoncoolumbeach.com.au
From only $149 per night in a one bedroom apartment
Dates and conditions apply
may/jun 2012
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Mike Swaine Above Photography.
TOP PARTING SHOTS Mike Swaine Above Photography.
A different kind of aerial expert, Sunshine Coast photographer Mike Swaine recently sent us a few absolutely unbelievable photos to check out. How incredible is the image above? Speaking of which, that’s the name of Mike’s business - Above Photography.
For more of Mike’s work, visit www.abovephotography.com.au 160
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WOODEN FANS WORK MAGIC ABOVE, L-R: Gary Miller (Workshop Instructor), Josh Morgan, Robert Wood, Jose Mejia, Tim Mosely, Aaron Lorych, Paul Lonergan, Robert Ivers (Workshop Instructor)
The Mornington Peninsula in Victoria provided three days of glorious autumn weather for the April 2012 Tree to Sea Australia Wooden Surfboard Workshop. Six fantastic wooden surfboards were made over the three days using excellent quality Paulownia timber supplied by David Evans from Paulownia Surfboard Supplies. Four Fish and two Mini Mals were made and will now join the line up in the Victorian breaks. Robert Ivers and Gary Miller and have officially formed Tree to Sea Australia with the blessing of Rich Blundell the Tree to Sea founder from the USA. Together they will run workshops all year round. To find out more and register your interest for future workshops go to www.treetosea.com.au
RIVER RACERS
1.
Words and Photos By Daniel Hampson www.looktosea.com.au
After the success of the event last year, the committee members of the Cronulla Sutherland SUP Club Inc wanted this year’s Naish River Race to be even bigger and better. Thankfully we had Peter Japp, club president, driving it. I’m sure without him, the event would still be only a concept and not a reality. I’ve never been involved in planning and executing an event before, it was a real eye opener to see how much work goes into getting an event off the drawing table. The day included the Eastcoast Stand Up Paddle 14’1+ race division, the Gumby Lock Handicap Race - which takes into account type of board, paddle, age and weight to put everyone on an even playing field - the AAT Kings Non Race board division, the Land and Sea Family division, Quickblade Paddles 12’6 Race, the Surf for Sanity Junior race, the Naish 14’ Race and the Street SUP SUP Lemans.
1. Start of the Gumby Lock Handicap Race 2. Alfie Prosser, 3. S treet SUP SUP Lemans buoy turn 4. D ane Hurst, winner of the Street SUP SUP Lemans 2.
3.
4.
The day was a huge success and from all reports everyone had a great day of flat water racing. I can’t wait for next year! Cronulla Sutherland SUP Club Inc would like to thank all the sponsors who jumped on board for the race this year! For info on getting involved in SUP in the area, see www.cronullasutherlandsupclub.com.au may/jun 2012
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GET READY FOR MORE ALOHA BARRY NEXT EDITION - OUT IN JULY
9/05/12 1:46 PM
IMPROVED QUALITY BETTER MEMORY EXTREME STRETCH KEEPS SHAPE LONGER
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With years of local experience and the highest quality materials, every ZEE WETSUIT is built to last. Made locally and 100% Australian owned.
IRECT Available D , or from from ZEE stores select surf
NOOSA: 07 5474 1010 MOOLOOLABA: 07 5444 7007
Unit 2, 15 Venture Drive, Noosaville, QLD
NEW STORE! OPEN HOURS: Mon-Fri: 9 - 5, Sat: 9 - 12
BOTH STORES OPEN 6 DAYS!
122 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, QLD
sales@zeewetsuits.com
www.zeewetsuits.com may/jun 2012
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